Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 188

Devanagari script

उन्मीलिनी वंजुलिनी त्रिस्पृशा पक्षवर्द्धिनी । त्वया पुत्र प्रकर्त्तव्या जयंती विजया जया

Transliteration

unmīlinī vaṃjulinī trispṛśā pakṣavarddhinī | tvayā putra prakarttavyā jayaṃtī vijayā jayā

Translation

‘উন্মীলিনী’, ‘বঞ্জুলিনী’, ‘ত্রিস্পৃশা’, ‘পক্ষবর্ধিনী’ এবং ‘জয়ন্তী’, ‘বিজয়া’, ‘জয়া’—হে পুত্র, এই অষ্টমী-ব্রতগুলি তোমাকে বিধিপূর্বক পালন করতে হবে।

Word by Word

• उन्मीलिनी: Unmīlinī (the ‘opening/unfolding’ one)
• उन्मीलिनी: Viśeṣaṇa (Name/epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत् + मील् (धातु) + णिनि/इनी (कृत्) → उन्मीलिनी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; नामधेय-रूपे विशेषणम् (feminine agent-noun/epithet)

• वंजुलिनी: Vaṃjulinī (name/epithet)
• वंजुलिनी: Viśeṣaṇa (Name/epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वंजुलिनी (प्रातिपदिक; नाम/विशेषण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; नामधेय (proper epithet)

• त्रिस्पृशा: Trispṛśā (the ‘three-touching’ one)
• त्रिस्पृशा: Viśeṣaṇa (Name/epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + स्पृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (tri-spṛśā = ‘touching three (times/ways)’)

• पक्षवर्द्धिनी: Pakṣavarddhinī (the ‘fortnight-increasing’ one)
• पक्षवर्द्धिनी: Viśeṣaṇa (Name/epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पक्ष + वर्ध् (धातु) + णिनि/इनी → वर्द्धिनी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (pakṣa-varddhinī = ‘increasing the fortnight/wing’)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent in passive/obligation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• प्रकर्तव्या: should be performed
• प्रकर्तव्या: Vidhi (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्) → प्रकर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be performed/done’)

• जयन्ती: Jayantī (name)
• जयन्ती: Karma/Predicate complement (Thing to be performed/observed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जयन्ती (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; नामधेय (proper name)

• विजया: Vijayā (name)
• विजया: Karma/Predicate complement
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजया (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; नामधेय (proper name)

• जया: Jayā (name)
• जया: Karma/Predicate complement
• Type: Noun
• Root: जया (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; नामधेय (proper name)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (instructional voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘Putra’ addressed within the verse (a disciple/son figure)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-elder instructs a young devotee (‘my son’) with a palm-leaf calendar showing lunar phases; seven Aṣṭamī names appear as stylized inscriptions; nearby, a small Kṛṣṇa shrine with lamp and tulasī leaves indicates the vrata focus.

Characters & Entities

• Jayantī
• Vijayā
• Jayā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (tithi) is treated as a vehicle of merit; named Aṣṭamī observances are recommended as dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The observances are taught within the Dvārakā Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the specified Aṣṭamī-related vratas/observances (by their traditional names).