Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

गृहीत्वा वालुकं पात्रे प्रस्थमात्रे यशस्विनि । अथवा धान्यमादाय यवशालितिलादिकम्

Transliteration

gṛhītvā vālukaṃ pātre prasthamātre yaśasvini | athavā dhānyamādāya yavaśālitilādikam

Translation

ഹേ യശസ്വിനീ, ഒരു പാത്രത്തിൽ ഒരു പ്രസ്ഥമാത്ര മണൽ എടുത്തുകൊണ്ട്—അല്ലെങ്കിൽ യവം, അരി, എള്ള് മുതലായ ധാന്യം എടുത്തുകൊണ്ട്—

Word by Word

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having taken)

• वालुकम्: sand
• वालुकम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāluka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे नपुंसकवत्), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पात्रे: in a vessel
• पात्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रस्थमात्रे: of the measure of one prastha
• प्रस्थमात्रे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of pātre)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prastha (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; प्रमाण-विशेषण (measure-qualifier)

• यशस्विनि: O illustrious lady
• यशस्विनि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaśasvinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विकल्प-बोधक अव्यय (disjunctive)

• धान्यम्: grain
• धान्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhānya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु) + ā- (उपसर्ग) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having taken)

• यव-शालि-तिल-आदिकम्: barley, rice, sesame, and the like
• यव-शालि-तिल-आदिकम्: Karma (Apposition to dhānyam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yava (प्रातिपदिक) + śāli (प्रातिपदिक) + tila (प्रातिपदिक) + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘आदि’ समुच्चयार्थक (etc.)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed woman (yaśasvinī) / devotees

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee woman/man holds a vessel filled with measured sand (prastha) and alternatively bowls of barley, rice, sesame—preparing for dāna at the Prabhāsa tīrtha after snāna.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual dharma is practical: devotion is expressed through orderly preparation of simple, accessible materials.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya’s vrata-vidhi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare either sand (one prastha) in a vessel, or grains such as barley, rice, sesame, etc., for the rite.