Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

अग्निरित्यादिना भस्म गृहीत्वांगानि संस्पृशेत् । गृह्णीयात्संयते चाग्नौ भस्म तद्गृहवासिनाम्

Transliteration

agnirityādinā bhasma gṛhītvāṃgāni saṃspṛśet | gṛhṇīyātsaṃyate cāgnau bhasma tadgṛhavāsinām

Translation

’اگنی…‘ سے شروع ہونے والے منتر کے ساتھ بھسم لے کر اپنے اعضاء کو چھوئے۔ اور سنبھال کر روشن رکھی گئی مقدس آگ سے گھر والوں کے لیے وہی بھسم حاصل کرے۔

Word by Word

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इति: thus/“as”
• इति: Sambandha (quotative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-शब्दः, वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आदिना: by (the formula) beginning with
• आदिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘आदि’ = beginning etc., ‘-आदिना’ = “starting with …”

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having taken’

• अङ्गानि: limbs
• अङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• संस्पृशेत्: should touch
• संस्पृशेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गृह्णीयात्: should take
• गृह्णीयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• संयते: in the restrained (controlled)
• संयते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + यम् (धातु) / संयत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘संयत’ = restrained/controlled (agreeing with ‘अग्नौ’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अग्नौ: in the fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तद्गृहवासिनाम्: of the residents of that house
• तद्गृहवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘तद्-गृह-वासिन्’ = those dwelling in that house

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhasma (Pāśupata/Śaiva) observance at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder draws ash from a carefully tended sacred fire while reciting ‘Agni…’; family members receive the ash and touch limbs reverently, marking tripuṇḍra.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Bhasma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred ash, taken with mantra and used with discipline, is a sanctifying Śaiva marker integrated into household dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya while praising Pāśupateśvara-linked practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Taking bhasma with the ‘Agni…’ mantra, touching/anointing the limbs, and distributing household ash from a duly maintained fire.