Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

संपन्नमर्घ्यमादाय मंत्रमेतमुदीरयेत् । प्रत्यङ्मुखः सुनियतः संमुखो वा महोदधेः

Transliteration

saṃpannamarghyamādāya maṃtrametamudīrayet | pratyaṅmukhaḥ suniyataḥ saṃmukho vā mahodadheḥ

Translation

取那已善备的阿尔伽供水（arghya），当诵此真言——或面向西方，严持自制；或面向浩瀚大海而诵。

Word by Word

• saṃpannam: well-prepared, complete
• saṃpannam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃpanna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (arghyam इति पदस्य विशेषणम्)

• arghyam: arghya offering
• arghyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arghya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ādāya: having taken
• ādāya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: दा (to take) उपसर्ग: आ-

• maṃtram: mantra
• maṃtram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• etam: this
• etam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (maṃtram इति पदस्य विशेषणम्)

• udīrayet: should utter/recite
• udīrayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-īr (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; धातु: ईर्/ईरय् (to utter/raise) उपसर्ग: उद्-

• pratyaṅmukhaḥ: facing west/backwards
• pratyaṅmukhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratyaṅ-mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: प्रत्यङ् मुखः (facing west/backward)

• suniyataḥ: well-restrained, disciplined
• suniyataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-niyata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपसर्गसदृश-पूर्वपद: सु- (well)

• saṃmukhaḥ: facing towards (in front)
• saṃmukhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• mahā-udadheḥ: of the great ocean
• mahā-udadheḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + udadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: महांश्चासौ उदधिः (the great ocean)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-samudra-tīrtha (Maho-dadhi-facing rite)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the seashore, a restrained devotee holds a filled arghya-vessel; he stands either facing west under the setting sun or directly toward the roaring ocean, ready to utter the mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Mahodadhi (the great ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power is supported by niyama (self-restraint) and proper orientation; devotion is guided by sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s coastal sacred setting—Cakratīrtha with the presence of the great ocean (mahodadhi).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hold the prepared arghya and recite the mantra while disciplined, either facing west or facing the ocean.