Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

ततस्ताभिस्तु सा प्रोक्ता देवी तत्र सरस्वती । नैतत्ते वचनं युक्तं वक्तुमेवंविधं मुखम्

Transliteration

tatastābhistu sā proktā devī tatra sarasvatī | naitatte vacanaṃ yuktaṃ vaktumevaṃvidhaṃ mukham

Translation

Daraufhin sprach die Göttin Sarasvatī dort zu ihnen: „Solche Worte stehen euch nicht an—und ein Mund wie der eure sollte dergleichen Rede nicht hervorbringen.“

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ताभिः: by them
• ताभिः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रोक्ता: was addressed/said (to)
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (kta); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• वचनम्: statement/word
• वचनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• युक्तम्: proper/appropriate
• युक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (kta); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• वक्तुम्: to say
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); क्रियार्थक

• एवंविधम्: of such a kind
• एवंविधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एवं विधम् = of such a kind)

• मुखम्: mouth/face
• मुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sarasvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sarasvatī addresses the Surabhīs with composed authority; her gesture is instructive (abhaya/teaching mudrā), emphasizing that noble mouths should not utter ignoble words.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and restraint of speech (vāk-saṃyama) are part of dharma; harsh or improper words are unbecoming, especially in sacred contexts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha region), presented as a sacred setting where divine and ethical instruction unfolds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes ethical discipline—right speech—as a dharmic practice.