Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । शृणु देविप्रवक्ष्यामि दानश्राद्धविधिक्रमम् । सरस्वत्याश्च माहात्म्यं कीर्त्यमानं निबोध मे

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | śṛṇu devipravakṣyāmi dānaśrāddhavidhikramam | sarasvatyāśca māhātmyaṃ kīrtyamānaṃ nibodha me

Translation

Īśvara dit : Écoute, ô Déesse : je t’exposerai l’ordre des rites du don et du śrāddha. Et reçois de moi la grandeur de Sarasvatī, telle qu’elle est proclamée.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• दानश्राद्धविधिक्रमम्: the procedure/order of rules for gifts and śrāddha
• दानश्राद्धविधिक्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सरस्वत्याः: of Sarasvatī
• सरस्वत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कीर्त्यमानम्: being praised/being recited
• कीर्त्यमानम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु) + यमान (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रयोगे शानच्/यमान-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'माहात्म्यम्' इति विशेषणम्

• निबोध: understand, take note
• निबोध: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु) + नि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative singular) सर्वनाम; अत्र षष्ठी (my) अर्थे

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī (Prabhāsa context)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara begins formal instruction: ‘Listen, O Devī, I will explain the sequence of dāna and śrāddha; understand Sarasvatī’s greatness.’ A teacherly posture, Devī attentive, with a symbolic river flowing toward the sea behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devī
• Sarasvatī
• Dāna
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is transmitted through śāstric instruction—rightly ordered rites (dāna and śrāddha) and tīrtha-glory together uplift the pilgrim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sarasvatī-tīrtha within Prabhāsa-kṣetra is introduced for praise and explanation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A structured exposition is promised on dāna (charity) and śrāddha (ancestral rites), implying detailed procedural rules to follow.