Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

भक्तिर्भवति भूयोऽपि सोमनाथं प्रति प्रभुम् । क्षीरेण स्नपनं पूर्वं ततो धारासमुद्भवम्

Transliteration

bhaktirbhavati bhūyo'pi somanāthaṃ prati prabhum | kṣīreṇa snapanaṃ pūrvaṃ tato dhārāsamudbhavam

Translation

ପ୍ରଭୁ ସୋମନାଥଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ଭକ୍ତି ଆଉ ଅଧିକ ବୃଦ୍ଧି ପାଏ। ପ୍ରଥମେ କ୍ଷୀରସ୍ନାନ, ତାପରେ ଧାରାରୂପେ ନିରନ୍ତର ଅର୍ପଣ-ପ୍ରବାହ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• bhaktiḥ: devotion
• bhaktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• bhavati: arises / becomes
• bhavati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्

• bhūyaḥ: again / more
• bhūyaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्ययवत्)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्ययम् (adverb: again/more)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कारक-अव्ययम् (also/even)

• somanātham: Lord Somanātha
• somanātham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक) + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (somasya nāthaḥ)

• prati: towards
• prati: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्ययम्/पूर्वसर्गः; कर्मप्रवचनीयः (towards)

• prabhum: the Lord
• prabhum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; समनाधिकरण-विशेष्य (apposition to somanātham)

• kṣīreṇa: with milk
• kṣīreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• snapanam: bathing (ablution)
• snapanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √snap (धातु) → snapana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्; क्रियानाम (act of bathing/ablution)

• pūrvam: first
• pūrvam: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: first)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Sequential)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्ययम् (then/from that)

• dhārā-samudbhavam: arising as a stream (continuous flow)
• dhārā-samudbhavam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhārā (प्रातिपदिक) + samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dhārāyāḥ samudbhavaḥ) विशेषणम् (qualifying snapanam)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somanātha at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Priests and devotees perform kṣīrābhiṣeka to the Somanātha liṅga; white milk cascades over the dark stone, followed by a steady dhārā stream, with lamps and flowers framing the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Somanātha (Someśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual worship (especially abhiṣeka) is presented as a catalyst that intensifies bhakti toward the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, with Somanātha/Someśvara as the presiding deity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka: first bathing the liṅga with milk (kṣīra), followed by a flowing stream of libation (dhārā).