Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अमा सोमेन संयुक्ता यदि तत्रैव लभ्यते । तत्र किं क्रियते देवि पर्वकोटिशतैरपि

Transliteration

amā somena saṃyuktā yadi tatraiva labhyate | tatra kiṃ kriyate devi parvakoṭiśatairapi

Translation

Ô Déesse, si l’on obtient là même le jour de nouvelle lune uni à Soma, que pourrait-on accomplir ailleurs, fût-ce par des centaines de millions de jours de fête ?

Word by Word

• अमा: new-moon night (Amāvāsyā)
• अमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• सोमेन: with Soma (moon)
• सोमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• संयुक्ता: joined/combined
• संयुक्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'अमा' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात (conditional conjunction: if)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: there)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• लभ्यते: is obtained, is available
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is obtained/available)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: there)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• क्रियते: is done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is done)

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

• पर्वकोटिशतैः: by hundreds of crores of festivals
• पर्वकोटिशतैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sārasvata-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-to-dawn transition on Amāvāsyā: a dark sky with a subtle Soma emblem; pilgrims with lamps gather at the river; a goddess addressed as ‘Devi’ listens as a sage extols the unmatched parvan.

Characters & Entities

• Amāvāsyā
• Soma
• Prabhāsa
• Sārasvata Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A uniquely sacred place-time conjunction can outweigh vast quantities of ordinary holy observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sārasvata holy region at Prabhāsa where Soma-related parvan observances are said to be supremely fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies observing Amāvāsyā in conjunction with Soma at the tīrtha, but it does not spell out a specific ritual act.