Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

इषेत्वेति च मन्त्रेण उत्तमांगं सदार्चयेत् । अग्निमीऌएति मन्त्रेण पूजयेद्दक्षिणं करम्

Transliteration

iṣetveti ca mantreṇa uttamāṃgaṃ sadārcayet | agnimīḷeti mantreṇa pūjayeddakṣiṇaṃ karam

Translation

‘ഇഷേത്വ…’ മന്ത്രത്തോടെ ദേവന്റെ ഉത്തമാംഗം (ശിരസ്) നിത്യം അർച്ചിക്കണം; ‘അഗ്നിമീളേ…’ മന്ത്രത്തോടെ വലങ്കൈയെ പൂജിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• इषेत्वेति: “iṣetva” (as the mantra)
• इषेत्वेति: Sambandha (Quotation marker context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इषेत्व (मन्त्र-पद/उद्धृत-शब्द)
• Form: इति-समाप्ति सहितं मन्त्र-उद्धरणम् (quoted mantra phrase)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• उत्तमाङ्गम्: the head (best limb)
• उत्तमाङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तम + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—उत्तमम् अङ्गम् (कर्मधारय)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Prescriptive action/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अग्निमीळेति: “agnim īḷe” (as the mantra)
• अग्निमीळेति: Sambandha (Quotation marker context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्निमीळे (मन्त्र-पद/उद्धृत-शब्द)
• Form: इति-समाप्ति सहितं मन्त्र-उद्धरणम्

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Prescriptive action/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• दक्षिणम्: right
• दक्षिणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• करम्: hand
• करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest/devotee performs aṅga-pūjā to a solar icon/maṇḍala: touching/gesturing toward the head region while reciting ‘iṣetv…’, then offering to the right hand while reciting ‘agnim īḷe…’; ritual items arranged neatly on the altar.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Bhāskara (implied as the worshipped deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pūjā becomes structured and sanctified when each limb is honored with appropriate mantra-recitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where Sūrya worship is detailed as a meritorious practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aṅga-pūjā: worship the head with ‘iṣetv…’ and the right hand with ‘agnim īḷe…’.