Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

जगतीं चार्चयेद्भक्त्या तथा चैवोपलेपयेत् । प्रासादं धवलं सौधं कारयेज्जीर्णमुद्धरेत्

Transliteration

jagatīṃ cārcayedbhaktyā tathā caivopalepayet | prāsādaṃ dhavalaṃ saudhaṃ kārayejjīrṇamuddharet

Translation

ഭക്തിയോടെ ജഗതി (ക്ഷേത്രവേദി/മഞ്ചം)യെ ആരാധിച്ച് അതിന് ഉപലേപനം നടത്തി പുതുക്കണം; ധവളവും ദീപ്തവുമായ പ്രാസാദം പണിയുകയും ജീർണ്ണമായത് ജീർണ്ണോദ്ധാരത്തോടെ പുനഃസ്ഥാപിക്കുകയും വേണം.

Word by Word

• जगतीम्: the platform/terrace (jagatī)
• जगतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म

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

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण (instrumental: by/with)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

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

• एव: indeed, certainly
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• उपलेपयेत्: should plaster/smear
• उपलेपयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु; उप+लिप्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रासादम्: temple/mansion
• प्रासादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म

• धवलम्: white
• धवलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण—प्रासादम्/सौधम्

• सौधम्: palace, lofty building
• सौधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म

• कारयेत्: should have (it) built/made
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु; णिच् causative: कारय)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative: cause to be made)

• जीर्णम्: worn-out, dilapidated
• जीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from जॄ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण—(प्रासादम्/सौधम्)

• उद्धरेत्: should remove/restore (by taking out)
• उद्धरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु; उद्+हृ)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa temple precincts (Somnātha and allied shrines)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees and artisans plastering the jagatī with fresh lime, offering flowers to the platform, while a white, gleaming prāsāda rises behind; another group carefully restores a weathered shrine, removing broken stones and re-setting them.

Characters & Entities

• Jagatī (temple platform)
• Prāsāda (temple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not only personal worship; sustaining and restoring sacred infrastructure is itself a meritorious dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra and its temple precincts described in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of the temple-platform, replastering/renewal work, building temples, and restoring dilapidated structures.