Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

भस्मशायी भस्मदिग्धो नृत्त गीतैरतोषयत् । जपेन वृषनादैश्च तपसा भावितः शुचिः

Transliteration

bhasmaśāyī bhasmadigdho nṛtta gītairatoṣayat | japena vṛṣanādaiśca tapasā bhāvitaḥ śuciḥ

Translation

ସେ ଭସ୍ମରେ ଶୟନ କରୁଥିଲା, ଭସ୍ମ ଲେପିତ ଥିଲା ଏବଂ ନୃତ୍ୟ-ଗୀତରେ ପ୍ରଭୁଙ୍କୁ ତୋଷ କରୁଥିଲା। ଜପ, ବେଦନାଦୋଚ୍ଚାର ଓ ତପସ୍ୟାରେ ପରିଶୁଦ୍ଧ ହୋଇ ସେ ଅନ୍ତରେ ନିର୍ମଳ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

• भस्मशायी: lying on ashes
• भस्मशायी: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular) (कर्तरि विशेषण)

• भस्मदिग्धः: smeared with ash
• भस्मदिग्धः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + दिग्ध (कृदन्त-क्त, ‘smeared’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• नृत्त: by dances
• नृत्त: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (3rd case/instrumental), बहुवचन (plural) (गितैः सह समाहारः)

• गीतैः: by songs
• गीतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (3rd case/instrumental), बहुवचन (plural)

• अतोषयत्: pleased/satisfied (him)
• अतोषयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); causative sense ‘made pleased’ (तोषयति)

• जपेन: by recitation
• जपेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (3rd case/instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• वृषनादैः: by bull-roars (loud cries)
• वृषनादैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + नाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (3rd case/instrumental), बहुवचन (plural)

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

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (3rd case/instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• भावितः: purified/imbued
• भावितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) (णिच्—भावयति)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘purified/imbued/strengthened’

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and assembled ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ash-smeared ascetic-devotee lies on a bed of sacred ash, then rises to dance and sing before the liṅga; the air vibrates with Vedic intonations and japa as tapas radiates from him.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Bhasma (sacred ash)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes transformative when supported by disciplined practice—ash-symbolism (vairāgya), japa, and tapas purify the devotee and please Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha), praised in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya as a powerful, sanctifying sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śaiva observances: applying/sitting on bhasma, performing japa, chanting solemn sacred sounds, and undertaking tapas (austerity).