Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

स्नापयेत्पयसा लिंगं दध्ना घृतयुतेन च । मधुनेक्षुरसेनैव कुंकुमेन विलेपयेत्

Transliteration

snāpayetpayasā liṃgaṃ dadhnā ghṛtayutena ca | madhunekṣurasenaiva kuṃkumena vilepayet

Translation

లింగాన్ని పాలతో స్నాపింపజేయాలి; నెయ్యి కలిపిన పెరుగుతో కూడా అభిషేకం చేయాలి. తరువాత తేనె, చెరకు రసంతో స్నానం చేయించి కుంకుమతో లేపనం చేయాలి.

Word by Word

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (it)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु; णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रत्यय (to cause to bathe)

• पयसा: with milk
• पयसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• दध्ना: with curd/yogurt
• दध्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• घृतयुतेन: mixed with ghee
• घृतयुतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृत + युत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √यु (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—घृतेन युतः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• मधुना: with honey
• मधुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• इक्षुरसेन: with sugarcane juice
• इक्षुरसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्षु + रस (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः—इक्षोः रसः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (indeed/just)

• कुङ्कुमेन: with saffron/vermilion
• कुङ्कुमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• विलेपयेत्: should anoint/smear
• विलेपयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लिप् (धातु; वि-उपसर्ग + णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रत्यय

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the assembled sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra / Somnātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (and addressed to Devī in nearby verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs abhiṣeka to a black stone liṅga in Prabhāsa, streams of milk and sweet liquids cascading, then saffron paste applied; attendants hold vessels, conch and bell nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva Liṅga
• Pañcāmṛta-style offerings (milk/curd/ghee/honey)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity and loving service expressed through abhiṣeka are affirmed as a dharmic mode of approaching Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The worship context is Mṛtyuñjayeśa at Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka with milk, curd mixed with ghee, honey, sugarcane juice, and anointment with saffron.