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

Dan kepada para bhūta (makhluk halus), hendaklah dipersembahkan bali dengan mantra ini, wahai yang berseri—persembahan yang disertai darah, air, dan makanan, bersama wangian, bunga, serta akṣata (beras yang tidak pecah).

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).