Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

विष्णोः कण्ठे तदा मुक्ता जयमाला सुरोत्तमैः । दामोदरेति विख्यातं दत्तं नामोत्तमं हरेः

Transliteration

viṣṇoḥ kaṇṭhe tadā muktā jayamālā surottamaiḥ | dāmodareti vikhyātaṃ dattaṃ nāmottamaṃ hareḥ

Translation

Alors les dieux les plus éminents déposèrent au cou de Viṣṇu une guirlande de victoire ; et Hari reçut le nom excellent, renommé « Dāmodara ».

Word by Word

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कण्ठे: on the neck
• कण्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• मुक्ता: a pearl (necklace)
• मुक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जयमाला: victory-garland
• जयमाला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय + माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जयस्य माला)

• सुरोत्तमैः: by the best of the gods
• सुरोत्तमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणाम् उत्तमैः)

• दामोदर: Dāmodara
• दामोदर: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (नामरूपेण)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इत्यर्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• विख्यातम्: renowned
• विख्यातम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु) → विख्यात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे ‘renowned/known’

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘given/bestowed’

• नामोत्तमम्: the excellent name
• नामोत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (उत्तमं नाम)

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dāmodara-smṛti-sthāna (within Vastrāpatha/Raivataka context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas place a radiant victory garland around Viṣṇu’s neck; the moment crystallizes into the proclamation of the name ‘Dāmodara’, with celestial light and showering flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Hari
• Dāmodara
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine names arise from sacred acts and remembrance; honoring the Lord with devotion brings victory and auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vastrāpatha–Prabhāsa sacred region where the gods’ worship and naming of Hari is remembered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering a garland (mālā-arpana) as an act of worship is implied; no detailed ritual steps are provided.