Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वांछितं चाष्टभिर्भक्त्या ददाति पुरुषोत्तमः । सर्वं दद्यान्नवव्यूहो दुर्ल्लभो यः सुरोत्तमैः

Transliteration

vāṃchitaṃ cāṣṭabhirbhaktyā dadāti puruṣottamaḥ | sarvaṃ dadyānnavavyūho durllabho yaḥ surottamaiḥ

Translation

Dengan delapan (ucapan) disertai bhakti, Puruṣottama menganugerahkan anugerah yang diinginkan. Vyūha yang sembilan rupa menganugerahkan segalanya—Dia yang sukar dicapai bahkan oleh para dewa utama.

Word by Word

• वाञ्छितम्: the desired (boon)
• वाञ्छितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाञ्छित (प्रातिपदिक; √वाञ्छ् (धातु) + क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अष्टभिः: with eight (i.e., by eight)
• अष्टभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (संख्याशब्द), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• भक्त्या: by devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• पुरुषोत्तमः: the Supreme Person
• पुरुषोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः पुरुष-उत्तम (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः: ‘पुरुषेषु उत्तमः’)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: would give/may give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• नवव्यूहः: the ninefold formation (Navavyūha)
• नवव्यूहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यूह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः नव-व्यूह (द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: ‘नवसंख्यकः व्यूहः’)

• दुर्लभः: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम

• सुरोत्तमैः: by the best of gods
• सुरोत्तमैः: Karana/Agent (by/with; instrumental of comparison/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः सुर-उत्तम (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः: ‘सुरेषु उत्तमैः’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā-māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Puruṣottama/navavyūha nāma-ucchāra fruit)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crescendo scene: devotee chanting with intense bhakti; Puruṣottama appears granting the desired boon; then a cosmic diagram-like manifestation of the ninefold Vyūha surrounding the Lord, encompassing all directions; devas in the background gaze in astonishment, indicating his rarity even to them.

Characters & Entities

• Puruṣottama
• Nava-vyūha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is the key that makes the Lord—hard to reach even for gods—accessible, and it transforms remembrance into a source of complete auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, presented as a place where the Lord’s supreme form and emanations are especially efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotional, counted nāma-japa (eight and nine) linked to specific forms (Puruṣottama and the nava-vyūha).