Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

स्तुयाद्विष्णुं महादेवि इदं विष्णुऋचा प्रिये । सहस्रशीर्षामंत्रेण तर्पणादि प्रकारयेत्

Transliteration

stuyādviṣṇuṃ mahādevi idaṃ viṣṇuṛcā priye | sahasraśīrṣāmaṃtreṇa tarpaṇādi prakārayet

Translation

Qu’il loue Viṣṇu, ô Mahādevī—bien-aimée—au moyen de ce ṛc consacré à Viṣṇu ; et, avec le mantra « Sahasraśīrṣā », qu’il accomplisse le tarpaṇa et les autres rites selon l’usage.

Word by Word

• स्तुयात्: let (one) praise
• स्तुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/विधिलिङ्-आज्ञार्थे), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• विष्णुऋचा: by the Viṣṇu-hymn (ṛc)
• विष्णुऋचा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋच्/ऋचा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः ऋचा = by the ṛc/hymn of Viṣṇu)

• प्रिये: O beloved (lady)
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्

• सहस्रशीर्षामन्त्रेण: with the Sahasraśīrṣā mantra
• सहस्रशीर्षामन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्रशीर्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सहस्रशीर्षायाः मन्त्रः)

• तर्पणादि: tarpaṇa and the like (rites)
• तर्पणादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/आदि-समासार्थे (tarpaṇa etc. as a set)

• प्रकारयेत्: should perform/cause to be done
• प्रकारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/संभावना-आदेश), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (addressing Mahādevī within the section’s dialogue-frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (Talasvāmin locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands by water with kuśa grass, reciting Vedic lines; the words ‘sahasraśīrṣā’ seem to manifest as a vast cosmic form of Viṣṇu above, while the pilgrim performs tarpaṇa with measured pours.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Mahādevī
• Viṣṇu-ṛc
• Sahasraśīrṣā mantra
• Tarpaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-worship is completed by mantra and stuti: sacred geography and Vedic remembrance together form the Purāṇic path of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa-kṣetra setting, particularly the Viṣṇu locus (Talasvāmin context) where Vedic-style worship is recommended.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praise Viṣṇu with a Viṣṇu-ṛc and perform tarpaṇa and allied rites using the Sahasraśīrṣā mantra.