Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

आद्यनासः स्रुवतुंडः सामघोषस्वनो महान् । प्राग्वंशकायो द्युतिमा न्नानादीक्षाविराजितः

Transliteration

ādyanāsaḥ sruvatuṃḍaḥ sāmaghoṣasvano mahān | prāgvaṃśakāyo dyutimā nnānādīkṣāvirājitaḥ

Translation

അവന്റെ നാസിക ആദിമമാണ്; അവന്റെ തുണ്ടു സ്രുവം (ഹോമചമച്) പോലെയാണ്; അവന്റെ മഹാനാദം സാമവേദത്തിലെ സാമഘോഷംപോലെ മുഴങ്ങുന്നു. അവന്റെ ദേഹം യജ്ഞമണ്ഡപത്തിലെ പ്രാഗ്വംശം (മുളക്കട്ടം) പോലെയായി, നാനാവിധ ദീക്ഷകളാൽ ദീപ്തമായി വിരാജിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• आद्यनासः: one with a primeval/first nose (epithet)
• आद्यनासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + नासिका/नास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (आद्या नासः)

• स्रुवतुंडः: one whose snout is the ladle
• स्रुवतुंडः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रुव (प्रातिपदिक) + तुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्रुवस्य तुण्डम्/तुण्डः)

• सामघोषस्वनः: one whose sound is the chant of Sāman
• सामघोषस्वनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम (प्रातिपदिक) + घोष (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: सामस्य घोषः (घोष-स्वनः)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्राग्वंशकायः: one whose body is the prāgvaṃśa (eastern sacrificial beam)
• प्राग्वंशकायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: प्राग्वंशः (पूर्वभागे स्थितो वंशः/वंशदण्डः) तस्य कायः

• द्युतिमान्: radiant
• द्युतिमान्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्युतिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive)

• नानादीक्षाविराजितः: adorned with various consecrations (dīkṣās)
• नानादीक्षाविराजितः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय) + दीक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + वि-राज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: नानादीक्षाभिः विराजितः (विभक्त्यर्थे समासः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant boar-formed divinity whose snout resembles a sruva (offering ladle), surrounded by a Vedic altar-space; the air vibrates with Sāman chant; bamboo-frame (prāgvaṃśa) motifs form a luminous enclosure around him, suggesting multiple dīkṣās as consecration-auras.

Characters & Entities

• Sāman (Sāmaveda chant)
• Sruva (ladle)
• Dīkṣā
• Bhūdhara (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sound and consecration are central to dharma; the tīrtha’s deity is praised as the embodiment of Vedic chant and ritual order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhūdhara at Devikā-taṭa in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct instruction; the verse references dīkṣā and Sāman chant as sanctifying principles.