Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

मृदुवस्त्रधरां साक्षात्क्षौमवस्त्रावगुण्ठिताम् । निष्क्रम्य पत्नीशालात ऋत्विग्भिर्वेदपारगैः

Transliteration

mṛduvastradharāṃ sākṣātkṣaumavastrāvaguṇṭhitām | niṣkramya patnīśālāta ṛtvigbhirvedapāragaiḥ

Translation

അവൾ മൃദുവസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ ധരിച്ചു, ക്ഷൗമവസ്ത്രംകൊണ്ട് മറഞ്ഞവളായി, പത്നീശാലയിൽ നിന്ന് പുറത്തുവന്നു; വേദപാരംഗതരായ ഋത്വിക്കുകൾ അവളോടൊപ്പം ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• मृदुवस्त्रधराम्: wearing soft garments
• मृदुवस्त्रधराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदु + वस्त्र + धर (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ (धातु) + अ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (मृदूनि वस्त्राणि धरति या); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पत्नीम्/गायत्रीम्)

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• साक्षात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/क्रियाविशेषण (emphatic adverb)

• क्षौमवस्त्रावगुण्ठिताम्: veiled/covered with linen cloth
• क्षौमवस्त्रावगुण्ठिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षौम + वस्त्र + अवगुण्ठित (प्रातिपदिक; अव√गुण्ठ् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (क्षौमवस्त्रेण अवगुण्ठिता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• निष्क्रम्य: having gone out
• निष्क्रम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निस्√क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• पत्नीशालात्: from the wives’ hall
• पत्नीशालात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नीशाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (पत्नी-शाला); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• ऋत्विग्भिः: by/with the priests
• ऋत्विग्भिः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• वेदपारगैः: versed in the Vedas
• वेदपारगैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (वेदस्य पारगः = वेदेषु पारंगतः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ऋत्विग्भिः)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the patnī-śālā (wives’ hall), Gāyatrī emerges in soft garments, linen veil drawn, escorted by Veda-knowing ṛtviks; the threshold to the yajña pavilion is marked by kuśa and auspicious symbols.

Characters & Entities

• ṛtvij
• Veda
• patnīśālā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through disciplined ritual order—purity, modesty, and correct accompaniment in yajña are treated as sacred obligations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), presented as a sanctified landscape where Vedic rites unfold with exemplary propriety.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse highlights yajña protocol: the patnī (wife) emerges from the patnīśālā in proper attire/veil, accompanied by qualified ṛtvij priests.