Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

तैलमुद्वर्तनं स्नानं दन्तधावनमेव च । क्लृप्तरोमनखेभ्यश्च दद्याद्गत्वापरेऽहनि

Transliteration

tailamudvartanaṃ snānaṃ dantadhāvanameva ca | klṛptaromanakhebhyaśca dadyādgatvāpare'hani

Translation

തൈലമർദ്ദനം/ഉദ്വർത്തനം, സ്നാനം, ദന്തധാവനം—അതുപോലെ മുറിച്ച മുടിയും നഖങ്ങളും—ഇവയെല്ലാം അടുത്ത ദിവസത്തിലേക്ക് കടന്നശേഷം മാത്രമേ യഥാവിധി നിക്ഷേപിക്കാവൂ.

Word by Word

• तैलम्: oil
• तैलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सूची/समुच्चय)

• उद्वर्तनम्: rubbing/massage (with oil)
• उद्वर्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्वर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दन्तधावनम्: cleaning the teeth
• दन्तधावनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त-धावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दन्तानां धावनम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• क्लृप्तरोमनखेभ्यः: from (having trimmed) hair and nails
• क्लृप्तरोमनखेभ्यः: Apādāna (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लृप्त-रोम-नख (प्रातिपदिक); क्लृप्त (कृदन्त-विशेषण) + रोम + नख
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (क्लृप्ते रोमणि नखे च / क्लृप्तानि रोमाणि नखानि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (अभ्यः-प्रत्यय)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• अपरे: on the next
• अपरे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अहनि इति)

• अहनि: day
• अहनि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined pilgrim’s morning routine near a tīrtha: oiling and rubbing, bathing, brushing teeth; a small covered vessel holds hair/nails to be disposed of later, with a subtle depiction of sunrise marking ‘next day’ rule.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha (contextual)
• Śauca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity extends into bodily discipline; mindful timing preserves the sanctity of pitṛ-related observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though not naming a single tīrtha, the rule is taught in Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya as part of dharmic conduct in the sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Delay oil-rubbing, bathing, tooth-cleaning, and disposal of cut hair/nails until the next day (apara ahan) in the relevant ritual context.