Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

मांगल्यमभिषेकं च मलमासे विवर्जयेत् । नित्यनैमित्तिके कुर्यात्प्रयतः सन्मलिम्लुचे । तीर्थे स्नानं गज च्छायां प्रेतश्राद्धं तथैव च

Transliteration

māṃgalyamabhiṣekaṃ ca malamāse vivarjayet | nityanaimittike kuryātprayataḥ sanmalimluce | tīrthe snānaṃ gaja cchāyāṃ pretaśrāddhaṃ tathaiva ca

Translation

മലമാസത്തിൽ മാംഗല്യകർമ്മങ്ങളും അഭിഷേകവും ഒഴിവാക്കണം. എന്നാൽ നിയന്ത്രണമുള്ളവനായി ആ ‘മലിമ്ലുച’ മാസത്തിലും നിത്യ-നൈമിത്തിക കർത്തവ്യങ്ങൾ നിർവ്വഹിക്കണം. കൂടാതെ തീർത്ഥസ്നാനം, ഗജഛായാ-ദാനം, പ്രേതശ്രാദ്ധം എന്നിവയും പ്രശസ്തമാണ്.

Word by Word

• माङ्गल्यम्: auspicious ceremony
• माङ्गल्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माङ्गल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अभिषेकम्: consecratory bathing/anointing
• अभिषेकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिषेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• मलमासे: in the intercalary month
• मलमासे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मलमास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• विवर्जयेत्: should avoid
• विवर्जयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नित्यनैमित्तिके: in daily and occasional (rites)
• नित्यनैमित्तिके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + नैमित्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (नित्यं च नैमित्तिकं च कर्म), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कर्म-प्रकारवाचक

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

• प्रयतः: being disciplined/pure
• प्रयतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषणम्

• सन्: being
• सन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस् (धातु) + सत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘प्रयतः’ इत्यस्य सह कर्तृ-विशेषणम्

• मलिम्लुचे: in the Malimluca (intercalary month)
• मलिम्लुचे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मलिम्लुच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘मलमास’ इत्यस्य पर्याय/विशेषणरूपेण

• तीर्थे: at a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

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

• गज: of an elephant
• गज: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘च्छायाम्’ इति सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• च्छायाम्: shade
• च्छायाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्रेतश्राद्धम्: funeral śrāddha for the departed
• प्रेतश्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रेतस्य श्राद्धम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb)

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calendrical scene: a priest points to a lunar calendar marked ‘malamāsa’; a wedding/abhiṣeka is shown deferred, while devotees perform daily worship, bathe at a tīrtha, offer charity labeled ‘gaja-chāyā’, and conduct a simple preta-śrāddha.

Characters & Entities

• Malamāsa
• Abhiṣeka
• Tīrtha
• Pretaśrāddha
• Gaja-chāyā dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avoid ostentatious ‘auspicious’ ceremonies in malamāsa, but never neglect obligatory dharma; tīrtha-bathing and pitṛ-duties remain meritorious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrtha-snāna is praised within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, implying pilgrimage bathing at Prabhāsa and related sacred waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid māṅgalya and abhiṣeka in malamāsa; continue nitya/naimittika karmas; perform tīrtha-snāna, gaja-chāyā dāna, and preta-śrāddha.