Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

मधुनेक्षुरसेनैव कुंकुमेन विलेपयेत् । कर्पूरोशीरमिश्रेण मृगनाभियुतेन च

Transliteration

madhunekṣurasenaiva kuṃkumena vilepayet | karpūrośīramiśreṇa mṛganābhiyutena ca

Translation

ദേവതയ്ക്ക് തേനും കരിമ്പിൻ നീരും കുങ്കുമവും കൊണ്ടു ലേപനം ചെയ്യണം. പിന്നെ കർപ്പൂരം–ഉശീര മിശ്രിതത്തിൽ കസ്തൂരി ചേർത്ത് സുഗന്ധ ലേപനവും ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• मधु: with honey
• मधु: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपद)

• इक्षुरसेन: with sugarcane-juice
• इक्षुरसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्षु (प्रातिपदिक) + रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इक्षोः रसः)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only/indeed)

• कुङ्कुमेन: with saffron
• कुङ्कुमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचनम्

• विलेपयेत्: should anoint/smear
• विलेपयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√लिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• कर्पूरोशीरमिश्रेण: with a mixture of camphor and uśīra
• कर्पूरोशीरमिश्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्पूर (प्रातिपदिक) + उशीर (प्रातिपदिक) + मिश्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचनम्; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थे (कर्पूर-उशीरयोः मिश्रः = mixture of camphor and uśīra)

• मृगनाभियुतेन: mixed with musk
• मृगनाभियुतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृगनाभि (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचनम्; तृतीया-सम्बन्धे विशेषणम् (mṛganābhi-yuta = endowed with musk)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (addressing Mahādevī within the section’s dialogue-frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A addressed female interlocutor (bhāminī) within the Prabhāsa-mahātmya dialogue frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest-devotee anoints the deity with honey and sugarcane-juice, then applies saffron paste; nearby are bowls of camphor, uśīra (vetiver) and musk, with lamps and conch at a coastal shrine setting of Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Kuṃkuma
• Karpūra
• Uśīra
• Mṛganābhi
• Janārdana/Viṣṇu (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through refined offerings: fragrant, pure substances symbolize inner sweetness and reverence in tīrtha-worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa-kṣetra worship-context where Viṣṇu (Talasvāmin/Janārdana) is honored with detailed pūjā upacāras.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform anulepana (anointing) using honey, sugarcane juice, saffron, and a mixture of camphor, uśīra (vetiver), and musk.