Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

स्मृता सरस्वती देवी देवानां हितकाम्यया । आगता सा महापुण्या उक्ता देवी मया तदा

Transliteration

smṛtā sarasvatī devī devānāṃ hitakāmyayā | āgatā sā mahāpuṇyā uktā devī mayā tadā

Translation

Im Wohlwollen für die Götter wurde die Göttin Sarasvatī in Erinnerung gerufen und angerufen. Da kam jene höchst verdienstvolle Devī herbei; und da wandte ich mich an die Göttin.

Word by Word

• smṛtā: (was) remembered / invoked
• smṛtā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) → smṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; past passive participle agreeing with ‘sarasvatī devī’

• sarasvatī: Sarasvatī
• sarasvatī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• devī: goddess
• devī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; apposition to ‘sarasvatī’

• devānām: of the gods
• devānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• hitakāmyayā: with the desire for (their) welfare
• hitakāmyayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hita (प्रातिपदिक) + kāmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; हेतु/प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of)

• āgatā: came
• āgatā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√gam (धातु) → āgata (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; in sense of past action ‘came’

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• mahāpuṇyā: greatly meritorious / very holy
• mahāpuṇyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; adjective qualifying ‘sā/devī’

• uktā: was said / addressed
• uktā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) → ukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; passive sense ‘was spoken/said’

• devī: the goddess
• devī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; apposition (reiterated)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A meditating figure invokes Sarasvatī for the gods’ welfare; Sarasvatī manifests—radiant, serene, holding vīṇā and book, with a white lotus motif—approaching the ritual ground to be addressed.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Śiva
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace responds to sincere intention for universal welfare; remembrance and invocation (smaraṇa) can manifest sacred support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where Sarasvatī’s presence becomes part of the sacred geography and merit-bestowing tīrtha network.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa/invocation of a deity (here Sarasvatī) as a dharmic act performed for the completion and benefit of sacred rites.