Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

मृदमालभ्य सजलां विप्रा देवकरच्युताम् । धारयित्वा तु शिरसा स्नानं कुर्य्याद्यथाविधि

Transliteration

mṛdamālabhya sajalāṃ viprā devakaracyutām | dhārayitvā tu śirasā snānaṃ kuryyādyathāvidhi

Translation

Hỡi các brāhmaṇa, sau khi lấy nắm đất ẩm đã rơi từ tay của thần linh, đặt lên đỉnh đầu, rồi hãy tắm theo đúng nghi thức.

Word by Word

• mṛdam: clay, earth
• mṛdam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ālabhya: having taken/obtained
• ālabhya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-labh (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: लभ् (to obtain/take) उपसर्ग: आ-

• sajalām: wet (with water)
• sajalām: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: जलेन सह/जलेन युक्ता (wet, with water)

• viprāḥ: brāhmaṇas
• viprāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; (अत्र विधिवाक्ये सामान्यकर्ता—‘विप्रः/विप्राः’ इति)

• devakara-cyutām: fallen from a god’s hand
• devakara-cyutām: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक) + cyuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: देवस्य करात् च्युता (fallen from the hand of a god)

• dhārayitvā: having placed/held
• dhārayitvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: धृ (to hold/bear)

• tu: indeed/then
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/अनुक्रमसूचक (but/indeed)

• śirasā: with/on the head
• śirasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• snānam: bath
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• kuryāt: should perform
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; धातु: कृ (to do/perform)

• yathā-vidhi: according to the prescribed rule
• yathā-vidhi: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (according to rule)

Speaker

Deductive (Dvārakā Māhātmya narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa; traditionally Sūta speaking in Purāṇic frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vipras (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa pilgrim receives moist sacred earth as prasāda near the ghāṭa, places it reverently on the crown of the head, then steps toward the water for ritual bathing.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is holistic: sacred substances, reverent gestures, and correct practice together elevate the pilgrim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of the Cakratīrtha/Dvārakā tīrtha-vidhi in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Apply/hold moist sacred earth (mṛd) upon the head, then perform snāna according to the prescribed method.