Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा विष्णुना प्रोक्तं कुमारीं तनयां तदा । शिरस्याधाय सस्नेहमुवाच प्रपितामहः

Transliteration

tacchrutvā viṣṇunā proktaṃ kumārīṃ tanayāṃ tadā | śirasyādhāya sasnehamuvāca prapitāmahaḥ

Translation

Hearing what Viṣṇu had spoken, Prapitāmaha (Brahmā) then, placing the maiden—his daughter—upon his head with affection, spoke.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम् (श्रुत्वा इत्यस्य कर्म)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: spoken, said
• प्रोक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘तत्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कुमारीम्: the maiden
• कुमारीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तनयाम्: daughter
• तनयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• शिरसि: on (the) head
• शिरसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• आधाय: having placed
• आधाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+धा (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यपन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• सस्नेहम्: with affection
• सस्नेहम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (स्नेहेन सह); क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रपितामहः: the great-grandsire
• प्रपितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā (Prapitāmaha) listens to Viṣṇu’s counsel, then lifts his daughter—the goddess Sarasvatī—with affectionate solemnity, placing her upon his head as a blessing before a perilous mission tied to the oceanic Prabhāsa landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Prapitāmaha
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authority joined with compassion is ideal dharma—commands are given with care, not harshness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, whose māhātmya is narrated through Brahmā and Viṣṇu’s protective actions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative context emphasizing affectionate transmission of duty.