Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

पुण्यतो यवहा देवीस्तूयमाना द्विजातिभिः । वाडवं वह्निमादाय हयवेगेन निःसृता

Transliteration

puṇyato yavahā devīstūyamānā dvijātibhiḥ | vāḍavaṃ vahnimādāya hayavegena niḥsṛtā

Translation

Auspiceuse et dispensatrice de mérite, la Déesse, louée par les deux-fois-nés, prit le feu Vāḍava et jaillit avec la vitesse d’un cheval.

Word by Word

• पुण्यतः: auspiciously, in a holy manner
• पुण्यतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुण्यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/प्रकारे अव्यय (adverb: 'piously/auspiciously')

• यवहा: Yavahā (name/epithet: 'bearing barley')
• यवहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यव + हा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (यवान् वहति इति/यव-वाहा)

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्तूयमाना: being praised
• स्तूयमाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्विजातिभिः: by the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन; समासः द्विगुः (द्वे जात्यौ यस्य/द्विजाति = ब्राह्मणादि)

• वाडवम्: submarine/underwater (vāḍava)
• वाडवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of vahni)

• वह्निम्: fire
• वह्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• हयवेगेन: with the speed of a horse
• हयवेगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय + वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (हयस्य वेगः)

• निःसृता: went forth, issued out
• निःसृता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + सृ (धातु) → निःसृत (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prācī (river, implied in the sequence)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Twice-born sages stand on a riverbank with folded hands, praising the Devī-river as she surges forward carrying a hidden fiery radiance (Vāḍava fire) within her waters, moving with horse-like speed.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Dvijāti (twice-born)
• Vāḍavāgni (submarine fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rivers are praised as puṇya-sources; their mythic powers (like Vāḍavāgni) symbolize intense divine energy moving through the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī stream within Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya, as part of the tīrtha network associated with Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, stuti (praise) by the dvijātis is highlighted; no explicit vrata/dāna/snānā is stated in this verse.