Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

अथवा वेदमार्गेण कुर्यात्स्नानं द्विजोत्तमः । यद्येवं मन्त्रविस्तारे ह्यशक्तो दीक्षया विना

Transliteration

athavā vedamārgeṇa kuryātsnānaṃ dvijottamaḥ | yadyevaṃ mantravistāre hyaśakto dīkṣayā vinā

Translation

അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ദ്വിജൻ വേദമാർഗ്ഗപ്രകാരം സ്നാനം ചെയ്യട്ടെ. ദീക്ഷയില്ലാതെ മന്ത്രവിസ്താരത്തിൽ അശക്തനാണെങ്കിൽ അങ്ങനെ ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else; alternatively
• अथवा: Discourse marker (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or/alternatively)

• वेदमार्गेण: by the Vedic path/method
• वेदमार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (vedasya mārgaḥ)

• कुर्यात्: should do; should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तमः: the best of the twice-born (a foremost Brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रेष्ठः द्विजः)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Discourse marker (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Modifier (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/in this manner)

• मन्त्रविस्तारे: in the detailed (use of) mantras; in mantra elaboration
• मन्त्रविस्तारे: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (mantrāṇāṃ vistāraḥ)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Discourse marker (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अशक्तः: unable; incapable
• अशक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशक्त (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक विशेषण

• दीक्षया: by initiation; with consecration
• दीक्षया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Modifier (अपादान/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-विभक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable: without); सह तृतीयार्थे प्रयोगः

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Vaidika-mārga snāna option)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama / qualified practitioner addressed indirectly; primary addressee remains the interlocutor of the section

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa at the Prabhāsa ghāṭa chooses a simpler Vedic-mode snāna, holding darbha and a small water-pot, while a more elaborate mantra-ritual is shown in the background as optional—highlighting graded practice.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Dīkṣā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma provides graded methods—when full mantra-ritual is not feasible, a Vedic-mode alternative is permitted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, framing Prabhāsa as a place where correct method matters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna via the Veda-mārga when one lacks dīkṣā or capacity for elaborate mantra procedures.