Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

स्नापयेत्पयसा चैव दध्ना घृतयुतेन च । मधुनेक्षुरसेनैव कुंकुमेन विलेपयेत्

Transliteration

snāpayetpayasā caiva dadhnā ghṛtayutena ca | madhunekṣurasenaiva kuṃkumena vilepayet

Translation

应以乳汁为主尊沐浴，又以掺入酥油的凝乳沐浴；再以蜂蜜与甘蔗汁沐浴；并以藏红花（kunkuma）为其涂抹。

Word by Word

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (him)/should cause to bathe
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नापय (णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• पयसा: with milk
• पयसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• दध्ना: with curd/yogurt
• दध्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन

• घृतयुतेन: mixed with ghee
• घृतयुतेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृत + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) (दध्ना/पयसा इत्यादि) द्रव्यस्य; समासः—तत्पुरुष (घृतेन युतः = mixed with ghee)

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

• मधुना: with honey
• मधुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन

• इक्षुरसेन: with sugarcane juice
• इक्षुरसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्षु + रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (इक्षोः रसः)

• एव: also/indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/समुच्चय (emphatic)

• कुङ्कुमेन: with saffron/vermilion
• कुङ्कुमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन

• विलेपयेत्: should anoint/smear
• विलेपयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु) → वि + लेपय (णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a lamp-lit sanctum at Prabhāsa, devotees perform abhiṣeka to a Śiva-liṅga: streams of milk, curd with ghee, honey and sugarcane-juice flow over the stone; saffron paste is prepared for anointing; attendants hold kalashas and conch, with temple pillars and sea-breeze suggested beyond.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied recipient of abhiṣeka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering one’s best substances in worship expresses surrender and reverence, drawing the deity’s purifying grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where detailed abhiṣeka offerings are prescribed for Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka with milk, curd-ghee, honey, sugarcane juice, followed by kuṃkuma anointing.