Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

भूतेभ्यश्च बलिं दद्यान्मंत्रेणानेन भामिनि । सरक्तं सजलं सान्नं गन्धपुष्पाक्षतैर्युतम्

Transliteration

bhūtebhyaśca baliṃ dadyānmaṃtreṇānena bhāmini | saraktaṃ sajalaṃ sānnaṃ gandhapuṣpākṣatairyutam

Translation

ഹേ ഭാമിനി! ഈ മന്ത്രത്തോടെ ഭൂതങ്ങൾക്ക് ബലി നൽകണം—രക്തസഹിതം, ജലസഹിതം, അന്നസഹിതം, കൂടാതെ ഗന്ധം, പുഷ്പം, അക്ഷതം എന്നിവയോടുകൂടി।

Word by Word

• भूतेभ्यः: to/for the beings (spirits)
• भूतेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन

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

• बलिम्: offering
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• भामिनि: O radiant lady
• भामिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• सरक्तम्: with blood
• सरक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपसर्जनपूर्वपद-समास (सह/युक्तार्थ)

• सजलम्: with water
• सजलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सहार्थक-समास

• सान्नम्: with food
• सान्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सहार्थक-समास

• गन्धपुष्पाक्षतैः: with fragrance, flowers, and unbroken rice
• गन्धपुष्पाक्षतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + पुष्प + अक्षत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (fragrance, flowers, unbroken rice)

• युतम्: endowed/combined (with)
• युतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + त (क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the edge of the ritual ground, a priest prepares bali: a plate with food, water, flowers, fragrance, and akṣata; the atmosphere is tense-sacred as shadowy bhūta forms are symbolically addressed under Devī’s protection.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūtas
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Harmony in sacred space includes appeasing peripheral forces; ritual order seeks peace for all beings within the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where such protective rites are integrated into Devī worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhūta-bali: offering bali to spirits with a specified mantra and materials (water, food, gandha, flowers, akṣata; and ‘with blood’ as stated).