Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

ततस्तेन हृदिस्थेन प्रोक्ता देवी सरस्वती । प्रार्थनीयो वरो भद्रे सूचीवक्त्रत्वमादरात्

Transliteration

tatastena hṛdisthena proktā devī sarasvatī | prārthanīyo varo bhadre sūcīvaktratvamādarāt

Translation

Then He who dwelt within her heart spoke to the Goddess Sarasvatī: “O auspicious one, ask as your boon—earnestly—for the state of having a needle-like mouth.”

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = thereafter/then

• tena: by him/with him
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — ‘तेन’ = by him/with that

• hṛdi-sthena: by the one dwelling in the heart
• hṛdi-sthena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √sthā धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष): हृदि + स्थ; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘हृदिस्थेन’ = by the one situated in (his) heart

• proktā: was spoken/uttered
• proktā: Karma (Predicate participle/कर्म-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु) (क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘प्रोक्ता’ = spoken/uttered (passive participle)

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

• sarasvatī: Sarasvatī
• sarasvatī: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (देवी-विशेषण/नाम)

• prārthanīyaḥ: to be requested
• prārthanīyaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√arth (धातु) (णीयत्/अनीयर्-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (अनीयर्/णीयत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘प्रार्थनीयः’ = to be requested

• varaḥ: boon
• varaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• bhadre: O auspicious lady
• bhadre: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — संबोधन-पद

• sūcī-vaktratvam: needle-like mouth (state)
• sūcī-vaktratvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūcī (प्रातिपदिक) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (त्व-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे): सūcī-वक्त्र + त्व; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — ‘सूचीवक्त्रत्वम्’ = needle-like-mouth-ness

• ādarāt: out of respect/earnestly
• ādarāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — ‘आदरात्’ = out of respect/earnestly

Speaker

Viṣṇu (Janārdana/Acyuta), speaking from within Sarasvatī’s heart

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From within Sarasvatī’s heart-lotus, Viṣṇu speaks, instructing her to ask for the boon of 'needle-mouth'—a symbolic device to drink/contain waters and restrain the Vāḍava-fire’s threat.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Viṣṇu (Acyuta/Janārdana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine wisdom may prescribe unusual means to accomplish dharmic ends—boons should be aligned with protection of the worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the Lord’s subtle guidance safeguards creation, magnifying the kṣetra’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse concerns a strategic boon (vara) rather than a rite.