Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

पवित्रैरुपचारैश्च पूजयंतु द्विजोत्तमाः । अष्टौ प्रमाणपुरुषाः पौराणां कार्यदर्शिनः

Transliteration

pavitrairupacāraiśca pūjayaṃtu dvijottamāḥ | aṣṭau pramāṇapuruṣāḥ paurāṇāṃ kāryadarśinaḥ

Translation

ద్విజోత్తములు పవిత్ర ఉపచారములతోను నైవేద్యములతోను దేవతను పూజించుదురు. పురాణపరంపరలో నిపుణులై ప్రజాకార్యాలను పర్యవేక్షించగల ఎనిమిది ప్రమాణపురుషులను మార్గదర్శకులుగా నియమించవలెను.

Word by Word

• पवित्रैः: with pure
• पवित्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘उपचारैः’ इति विशेषणम्

• उपचारैः: with services/offerings
• उपचारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पूजयन्तु: let them worship
• पूजयन्तु: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘पुरुषाः’ इति विशेषणम्

• प्रमाणपुरुषाः: authoritative persons; men of authority
• प्रमाणपुरुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः (‘प्रमाणभूताः पुरुषाः’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पौराणाम्: of the townspeople/citizens
• पौराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कार्यदर्शिनः: overseeing duties; discerning what is to be done
• कार्यदर्शिनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य + दर्शिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘कार्यं पश्यन्ति’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘प्रमाणपुरुषाः’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Soma (the Moon-god), addressing the dvijas/ritual leaders at Prabhāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (assembled brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctified shrine precinct at Prabhāsa: dvijas perform pūjā with spotless vessels, flowers, incense, lamps; nearby, eight dignified elders sit as prāmāṇika guardians holding palm-leaf texts, overseeing pilgrims and temple affairs.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• dvijottama
• upacāra
• Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha thrives through both pure worship and accountable guardianship rooted in Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where worship and administrative standards are prescribed for sacred continuity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pūjā with pure upacāras and establish qualified overseers (eight pramāṇa-puruṣas) to guide affairs.