Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणाद्विप्राः प्रथमं पूज्यते सदा । गंधधूपाक्षतैर्वस्त्रैर्मोदकैस्तं प्रतर्पयेत्

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇādviprāḥ prathamaṃ pūjyate sadā | gaṃdhadhūpākṣatairvastrairmodakaistaṃ pratarpayet

Translation

Atas sebab inilah, wahai para brāhmaṇa, dia sentiasa dipuja terlebih dahulu. Hendaklah dia dipuaskan dengan wangian, dupa, akṣata (butir padi tidak pecah), pakaian, dan modaka.

Word by Word

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• कारणात्: because of the reason
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• पूज्यते: is worshipped
• पूज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (Passive)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of time)

• गन्धधूपाक्षतैः: with perfumes, incense, and unbroken rice
• गन्धधूपाक्षतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + धूप + अक्षत (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• वस्त्रैः: with garments
• वस्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्

• मोदकैः: with sweet balls (modakas)
• मोदकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• प्रतर्पयेत्: should satisfy/offer oblations to
• प्रतर्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः: प्र-

Speaker

Narrator (addressing viprāḥ within the Purāṇic discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (explicit: ‘viprāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas are instructed that the obstacle-remover is always worshipped first; devotees offer fragrance, incense, akṣata, cloth, and modakas in a neat pūjā arrangement.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇanātha (implied)
• Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious action begins with honoring the remover of obstacles; ordered worship protects one’s endeavors and aligns them with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, as the setting where worship-sequence and ritual norms are authoritatively taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Gaṇanātha first and offer gandha (fragrance), dhūpa (incense), akṣata (unbroken grains), vastra (cloth), and modaka (sweet offering).