Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

एकैकं तोषयामास तमृषिं वरवर्णिनि । ततोऽस्याः पंच नामानि जातानि पृथिवीतले

Transliteration

ekaikaṃ toṣayāmāsa tamṛṣiṃ varavarṇini | tato'syāḥ paṃca nāmāni jātāni pṛthivītale

Translation

Ô dame au teint éclatant, elle contenta chaque sage, l’un après l’autre ; ainsi, sur la terre, naquirent cinq noms qui furent les siens.

Word by Word

• एकैकम्: each one (one by one)
• एकैकम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एक + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (distributional adverb)

• तोषयामास: she pleased/satisfied
• तोषयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense (णिच्) ‘caused to be pleased’

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ऋषिम्: sage
• ऋषिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वरवर्णिनि: O fair-complexioned lady
• वरवर्णिनि: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + वर्णिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास; संबोधन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक अव्यय (then)

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; (अव्ययवत्) नामानि इति विशेषण

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• जातानि: arose/came into being
• जातानि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘were born/arose’

• पृथिवीतले: on the surface of the earth
• पृथिवीतले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañca-nāma Sarasvatī tīrthas at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sarasvatī, now fivefold, moves from one sage to another, granting satisfaction; above the landscape appear five name-banners, marking the birth of five sacred designations on earth.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī (implied)
• Ṛṣis
• Five names (pañca nāmāni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to the wise (ṛṣi-tarpaṇa/pleasing sages) generates sanctity and establishes enduring sacred identities in the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where Sarasvatī’s manifestation becomes mapped into multiple named tīrtha-streams.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied honoring/pleasing of sages; the verse does not prescribe a specific act like dāna, but highlights reverence to ṛṣis.