Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

साक्षात्सरस्वतीरूपा रक्षार्थं विधिना कृता । ओंकारा सा महापुण्या काजेशेन विनिर्मिता

Transliteration

sākṣātsarasvatīrūpā rakṣārthaṃ vidhinā kṛtā | oṃkārā sā mahāpuṇyā kājeśena vinirmitā

Translation

Elle est Sarasvatī en personne, façonnée par Brahmā selon l’ordonnance sacrée pour la protection. Elle est de la forme de l’Oṃkāra, d’un mérite suprême, et fut produite par Kājeśa.

Word by Word

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly
• साक्षात्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'directly/manifestly')

• सरस्वती-रूपा: in the form of Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती-रूपा: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास ('having the form of Sarasvatī')

• रक्षा-अर्थम्: for protection
• रक्षा-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (accusative used adverbially: 'for the sake of protection')

• विधिना: by Brahmā / by the Ordainer (Vidhi)
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• कृता: made, created
• कृता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृ-धातु (to make) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि/कर्मणि प्रयोग (past passive participle: 'made')

• ओंकारा: Oṃkāra (the syllable Oṃ)
• ओंकारा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• महा-पुण्या: most holy
• महा-पुण्या: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास ('greatly holy/meritorious')

• काजेशेन: by Kājeśa
• काजेशेन: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काजेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विनिर्मिता: fashioned, constructed
• विनिर्मिता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+निर्मा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: वि-निर्-√मा (to fashion) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle: 'constructed')

Speaker

Narrator within the Dharmāraṇya-māhātmya context (exact speaker not stated in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā (Vidhi) fashions/installs a luminous Devī who is Sarasvatī in essence; the symbol Oṃ radiates behind her like a yantra, signifying protective mantra-power over the sacred forest.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Brahmā (Vidhi)
• Oṃkāra
• Kājeśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is both protective power and sacred sound (Oṃ), showing that dharma is guarded by divine wisdom and mantra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is implied as the protected sacred place where the Devī is established for rakṣā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied mantra-orientation: contemplation of the Devī as Oṃkāra (praṇava-dhyāna/japa), though no explicit rule is stated.