Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

उमोवाच । प्रभाया मन्दिरे नित्यं स्थीयतां हिमनाशन । अग्रपत्नी समस्तानां भार्याणां क्रियतां रवे

Transliteration

umovāca | prabhāyā mandire nityaṃ sthīyatāṃ himanāśana | agrapatnī samastānāṃ bhāryāṇāṃ kriyatāṃ rave

Translation

Umā dit : «Ô toi qui dissipes le froid, demeure à jamais dans la demeure de Prabhā. Et toi, ô Ravi, fais d’elle l’épouse première parmi toutes tes épouses».

Word by Word

• उमा: Umā (Pārvatī)
• उमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

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

• प्रभायाः: of Prabhā
• प्रभायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• मन्दिरे: in the temple/abode
• मन्दिरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• स्थीयताम्: let (him/it) stay
• स्थीयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: 'let it be stayed')

• हिमनाशन: O destroyer of cold (Sun)
• हिमनाशन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिम + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक); नाश् (धातु) से नाशन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (himasya nāśanaḥ)

• अग्रपत्नी: the foremost wife
• अग्रपत्नी: Karma-pradhana/Predicate (Complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र + पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः (agryā patnī = foremost wife)

• समस्तानाम्: of all
• समस्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (सामान्य), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• भार्याणाम्: of wives
• भार्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• क्रियताम्: let (her) be made
• क्रियताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: 'let her be made')

• रवे: for Ravi (the Sun)
• रवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

Speaker

Umā (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhā-mandira (within Prabhā-kṣetra)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Umā speaks with commanding tenderness: instructing Sūrya (Ravi), ‘dispeller of cold,’ to dwell eternally in Prabhā’s temple and to elevate Prabhā as foremost queen among his consorts; the setting glows with dawn-like radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Umā (Pārvatī)
• Prabhā
• Ravi (Sūrya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred order is maintained through rightful placement and honor; dharma includes protecting and dignifying those connected to a holy place and vow.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Prabhā’s “mandira/abode” tied to the Prabhāseśa sacred complex on the Narmadā in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescriptive directive is given—Sūrya is to reside at Prabhā’s abode; it functions as a tīrtha-sthāna establishment rather than a personal rite.