Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ॐ नमो रत्नगर्भाय मन्त्रेणानेन भामिनि । कंकणं प्रक्षिपेत्तत्र ततः स्नायाद्यदृच्छया

Transliteration

oṃ namo ratnagarbhāya mantreṇānena bhāmini | kaṃkaṇaṃ prakṣipettatra tataḥ snāyādyadṛcchayā

Translation

„Oṃ, Verehrung Ratnagarbha (dem Juwelen-Schoß)!“ — mit diesem Mantra, o strahlende Frau, soll man dort ein Armreif hineinwerfen und danach gemäß dem Ritus baden.

Word by Word

• ॐ: Oṃ
• ॐ: Mantra-marker (Invocation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ॐ (अव्यय/प्रणव)
• Form: प्रणव-निपात

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha-bodhaka (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपातवत् अव्यय-प्रयोग: ‘salutation’

• रत्न-गर्भाय: to Ratnagarbha (jewel-wombed one)
• रत्न-गर्भाय: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रत्नानां गर्भः ‘having jewels within’); पुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• मन्त्रेण: by a mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भामिनि: O radiant lady
• भामिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कंकणम्: bracelet
• कंकणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंकण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रक्षिपेत्: should throw in; should cast
• प्रक्षिपेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (locative adverb)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय: ‘then’

• स्नायात्: should bathe
• स्नायात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यदृच्छया: by chance; spontaneously
• यदृच्छया: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग: ‘by chance; as it happens’

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī/Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ratnagarbha-arpana at Prabhāsa-samudra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhāminī (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant woman/pilgrim (bhāminī) stands at the shore, reciting ‘Oṃ namo Ratnagarbhāya’ and gently casting a bracelet into the glittering sea; the water seems to cradle the offering like a jewel-womb.

Characters & Entities

• Ratnagarbha
• Oṃ
• Pārvatī/Devī
• tīrtha (Prabhāsa waters)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through mantra and offering becomes a gateway to tīrtha-purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual is set in Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s sacred waters described in this māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of ‘Oṃ namo ratnagarbhāya’, offering (casting) a bracelet into the tīrtha, followed by bathing.