Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

गंधतोयैरुपस्कृत्य गायत्र्या प्रणवेन च । प्रोक्षयेत्सर्वद्रव्याणि पश्चादर्चनमारभेत्

Transliteration

gaṃdhatoyairupaskṛtya gāyatryā praṇavena ca | prokṣayetsarvadravyāṇi paścādarcanamārabhet

Translation

خوشبودار پانی سے انہیں پاک کر کے، گایتری اور پرنَو ‘اوم’ کے ساتھ، تمام پوجا کے سامان پر چھڑکاؤ کرے؛ پھر اس کے بعد ارچنا (عبادت) شروع کرے۔

Word by Word

• गन्ध-तोयैः: with scented waters
• गन्ध-तोयैः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; गन्धयुक्तैः तोयैः (instrumental plural)

• उपस्कृत्य: having prepared
• उपस्कृत्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप + √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘having prepared/arranged’

• गायत्र्या: with the Gāyatrī (mantra)
• गायत्र्या: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• प्रणवेन: with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवेन: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रोक्षयेत्: should sprinkle
• प्रोक्षयेत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √उक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सर्व-द्रव्याणि: all materials/offerings
• सर्व-द्रव्याणि: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक) + द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; ‘all (kinds of) materials’

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb of sequence)

• अर्चनम्: worship
• अर्चनम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आरभेत्: should begin
• आरभेत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √रभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee sprinkles scented water over arranged ritual items while softly chanting Oṃ and Gāyatrī; droplets catch lamplight; the liṅga awaits the first upacāra.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Gāyatrī
• Praṇava (Oṃ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification precedes adoration: mantra and sanctified water prepare the offerings and the mind for true worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where classical mantra-based purification is integrated into the local worship sequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Asperge all items with scented water while invoking Gāyatrī and Oṃ, then begin arcana (formal worship).