Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । आसीत्पुरा महादेवि सती चाध मयोनिजा । अक्षमालेति वै नाम्ना सतीधर्मपरायणा

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | āsītpurā mahādevi satī cādha mayonijā | akṣamāleti vai nāmnā satīdharmaparāyaṇā

Translation

ಈಶ್ವರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು - ಎಲೈ ಮಹಾದೇವಿಯೇ! ಹಿಂದೆ ಅಕ್ಷಮಾಲೆ ಎಂಬ ಹೆಸರಿನ ಪತಿವ್ರತೆಯೊಬ್ಬಳಿದ್ದಳು, ಅವಳು ಕೆಳಜಾತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ್ದರೂ ಸತೀಧರ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿರತಳಾಗಿದ್ದಳು.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• आसीत्: there was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देवी)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• सती: Satī
• सती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अध: then
• अध: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अध (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/कथान्तरसूचक (then/now)

• मयोनिजा: born of Mâyā/Mayā (epithet)
• मयोनिजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मयो-निजा (प्रातिपदिक; मयो + निजा)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सम्बन्ध: मयः/मयात् उत्पन्ना इति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (qualifying सती)

• अक्षमाला: Akṣamālā (name)
• अक्षमाला: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षमाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (as name in quotation)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-निपात (quotative marker)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अनुनासिक (emphatic particle)

• नाम्ना: by the name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instr sg: ‘by the name’)

• सतीधर्मपरायणा: devoted to Satī’s dharma; steadfast in virtue
• सतीधर्मपरायणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सती-धर्म-परायण (प्रातिपदिक; सती + धर्म + परायण)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सम्बन्ध: सत्या धर्मे परायणा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (qualifying सती)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva narrates to the Great Goddess; a virtuous woman Akṣamālā is introduced—serene, modest, with a rosary motif implied by her name; the setting hints at Prabhāsa’s sacred coastal aura.

Characters & Entities

• Akṣamālā
• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma lived through personal virtue becomes the seed for a sacred place’s enduring renown.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative groundwork is laid for Akṣamāleśvara (Prabhāsa-kṣetra) by introducing Akṣamālā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it begins the shrine’s origin-legend.