Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

आदावेव प्रकुर्वन्ति ताम्रकुम्भं दृढं शुभम् । तीर्थोदकं क्षिपेत्तत्र पत्रैस्ताम्रस्तथा युतम्

Transliteration

ādāveva prakurvanti tāmrakumbhaṃ dṛḍhaṃ śubham | tīrthodakaṃ kṣipettatra patraistāmrastathā yutam

Translation

ஆரம்பத்திலேயே உறுதியான, மங்களமான செம்புக் கும்பத்தை அமைக்க வேண்டும். அதில் தீர்த்தத்தின் புனித நீரை ஊற்றி, செம்புத் தாள்கள்/செம்புப் பலகைகளையும் சேர்க்க வேண்டும்.

Word by Word

• आदौ: at first, in the beginning
• आदौ: Kāla-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (Masculine, Locative, Singular; used adverbially)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: they make/prepare
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; प्र-उपसर्ग (Present, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural)

• ताम्रकुम्भम्: a copper pot
• ताम्रकुम्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्र + कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• दृढम्: firm, sturdy
• दृढम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ताम्रकुम्भम् इति विशेषणम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; adjective of tāmrakumbham)

• शुभम्: auspicious, good
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ताम्रकुम्भम् इति विशेषणम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; adjective of tāmrakumbham)

• तीर्थोदकम्: holy water (of a tīrtha)
• तीर्थोदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• क्षिपेत्: should throw/place
• क्षिपेत्: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• पत्रैः: with leaves/plates
• पत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• ताम्रः: copper
• ताम्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (indeclinable adverb: thus/likewise)

• युतम्: combined, accompanied
• युतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (तीर्थोदकम्/द्रव्यम्) इति विशेषणम्—‘युक्तम्’ (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; ‘accompanied/combined’)

Speaker

Unspecified (within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa tīrtha-water (tīrthodaka)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A practitioner prepares an auspicious, sturdy copper pot and pours in tīrtha-water, adding copper leaves/plates, beginning a long observance.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes disciplined preparation—using pure materials and tīrtha-water—to align actions with sacred power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is situated in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra glorification; the ‘tīrtha-water’ is understood as water from Prabhāsa-associated sacred waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare an auspicious, sturdy copper pot and fill it with tīrtha-water together with copper ‘patra’ (leaves/plates), as the initial step.