Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

मुखे पर्युषिते नित्यं भवत्यप्रयतो द्विजः । तस्माच्छुष्कमथार्द्रं वा भक्षयेद्दंतधावनम्

Transliteration

mukhe paryuṣite nityaṃ bhavatyaprayato dvijaḥ | tasmācchuṣkamathārdraṃ vā bhakṣayeddaṃtadhāvanam

Translation

മുഖത്തിൽ പഴയ മലിനത (പര്യുഷിതം) നിലനിൽക്കുകയാണെങ്കിൽ ദ്വിജൻ നിത്യവും ശൗചത്തിൽ അശ്രദ്ധനായി കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. അതിനാൽ ഉണങ്ങിയതോ പുതുതായി ഈർപ്പമുള്ളതോ ആയ ദന്തധാവനക്കൊമ്പ് ഉപയോഗിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• मुखे: in the mouth
• मुखे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, locative singular)

• पर्युषिते: when (it is) stale/overnight
• पर्युषिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + वस् (धातु) → पर्युषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), ‘having stayed overnight/stale’ (locative singular agreeing with मुखे)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचनम्; नित्यं = सदा (adverbial accusative: always)

• भवति: becomes
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (becomes/is)

• अप्रयतः: unpurified, careless
• अप्रयतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + प्रयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/उपसर्गयुक्त विशेषण (masculine nominative singular: unrestrained/impure)

• द्विजः: a Brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति तद्धित-निपातवत्; हेत्वर्थे पञ्चमी-एकवचन (ablative singular used adverbially: therefore/from that reason)

• शुष्कम्: dry
• शुष्कम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुष्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दन्तधावन-विशेषण (neuter, accusative singular: dry)

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक/समुच्चयार्थक (indeclinable: then/and)

• आर्द्रम्: moist
• आर्द्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दन्तधावन-विशेषण (neuter, accusative singular: moist)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable particle: or)

• भक्षयेत्: should chew
• भक्षयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should eat/chew)

• दन्तधावनम्: tooth-cleaning twig/cleanser
• दन्तधावनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त + धावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (neuter, accusative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya instructional tone)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Morning at a tīrtha rest-house: a dvija prepares for worship, selecting a proper twig and rinsing, with clean vessels and a rising sun indicating the start of nitya-karma.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Dantadhāvana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity begins with disciplined daily conduct; even small neglect (like stale mouth-impurity) undermines sacred readiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use a dantadhāvana (tooth-cleaning twig), whether dry or fresh, to cleanse the mouth before further rites.