Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

सारस्वत उवाच । संप्राप्य मानुषं जन्म ज्ञात्वा देवं महेश्वरम् । शिवरात्रिः सदा कार्या भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिनी

Transliteration

sārasvata uvāca | saṃprāpya mānuṣaṃ janma jñātvā devaṃ maheśvaram | śivarātriḥ sadā kāryā bhuktimuktipradāyinī

Translation

Sārasvata dit : Ayant obtenu la naissance humaine et reconnu le Seigneur Maheśvara, on doit toujours observer Śivarātri, car elle accorde à la fois les jouissances du monde et la délivrance.

Word by Word

• सारस्वतः: Sārasvata (the sage)
• सारस्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• संप्राप्य: having attained
• संप्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), उपसर्ग: सम्, प्र

• मानुषम्: human
• मानुषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ज्ञात्वा: having known/recognized
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• महेश्वरम्: Mahēśvara (the Great Lord)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् ईश्वरः)

• शिवरात्रिः: Śivarātri
• शिवरात्रिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: नित्यत्ववाचक-अव्यय (adverb of frequency)

• कार्या: should be observed/done
• कार्या: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाव्य/विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (शिवरात्रिः) इति कर्तृपदेन सह

• भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिनी: bestowing enjoyment and liberation
• भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुक्ति + मुक्ति + प्रदायिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समाहार/द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (भुक्ति-मुक्ति) + तत्पुरुष (प्रदायिनी)

Speaker

Sārasvata

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sārasvata teaches: a luminous Śiva-liṅga or Maheśvara icon appears symbolically behind him as he speaks of recognizing the deity; the king listens, transformed by the teaching of bhukti-mukti.

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata
• Maheśvara
• Śivarātri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life becomes meaningful when directed to Maheśvara; Śivarātri is praised as a vow that grants both prosperity and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, framing the vow in a sacred-geographical context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is regular observance of Śivarātri as a continuing vrata.