Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

बृहस्पतेः शुभा कन्या नाम्ना वै वेदवर्णिनी । पुष्पोत्कटा च वीका च उभे माल्यवतः सुते

Transliteration

bṛhaspateḥ śubhā kanyā nāmnā vai vedavarṇinī | puṣpotkaṭā ca vīkā ca ubhe mālyavataḥ sute

Translation

Bṛhaspati eut une fille de bon augure nommée Vedavarṇinī. Et Puṣpotkaṭā ainsi que Vīkā—toutes deux étaient filles de Mālyavat.

Word by Word

• bṛhaspateḥ: of Bṛhaspati
• bṛhaspateḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhaspati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — ‘of Bṛhaspati’

• śubhā: auspicious, beautiful
• śubhā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — agrees with ‘kanyā’

• kanyā: daughter
• kanyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• nāmnā: by name
• nāmnā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन — ‘by name/with the name’

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

• vedavarṇinī: Veda-versed / Veda-charactered
• vedavarṇinī: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veda + varṇinī (प्रातिपदिक); varṇinī from varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — ‘one who is characterized by Veda’

• puṣpotkaṭā: Puṣpotkaṭā (name)
• puṣpotkaṭā: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa + utkaṭā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — proper name

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• vīkā: Vīkā (name)
• vīkā: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — proper name

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ubhe: both
• ubhe: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: ubhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन — ‘both (f.)’

• mālyavataḥ: of Mālyavat
• mālyavataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālyavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — ‘of Mālyavat’

• sute: daughters
• sute: Karta (Predicate nominative/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन — ‘two daughters’ (dual)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic ‘genealogy scroll’ scene: sages pointing to names—Vedavarṇinī, Puṣpotkaṭā, Vīkā—shown as three auspicious feminine figures with distinct attributes (Vedic manuscript, flower garlands, mountain motif for Mālyavat).

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• Vedavarṇinī
• Puṣpotkaṭā
• Vīkā
• Mālyavat

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames Purāṇic society as ordered through recognized lineages, where virtue and auspiciousness (śubhatā) are celebrated as dharma-supporting qualities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse appears within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, contributing to the sacred narrative tapestry around Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction occurs here; it is a naming and lineage-identification verse.