Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

नारीणां च विशेषेण पुत्रसौभाग्यदायकम् । शृणु राजन्पुरावृत्तं यतोऽत्याश्चर्यमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

nārīṇāṃ ca viśeṣeṇa putrasaubhāgyadāyakam | śṛṇu rājanpurāvṛttaṃ yato'tyāścaryamuttamam

Translation

ഇത് പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് സ്ത്രീകൾക്ക് പുത്രസൗഭാഗ്യം നൽകുന്നു. ഹേ രാജാവേ, ഒരു പുരാതന സംഭവവൃത്തം കേൾക്കുക; അതിൽ നിന്നാണ് ഈ പരമ അത്ഭുതം അറിയപ്പെടുന്നത്.

Word by Word

• नारीणाम्: of women
• नारीणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

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

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे तृतीया-रूपेण प्रयुक्तम्; क्रियाविशेषण (especially)

• पुत्रसौभाग्यदायकम्: giving the good fortune of a son
• पुत्रसौभाग्यदायकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र-सौभाग्य-दायक (प्रातिपदिक); पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सौभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying purāvṛttam / कथनम्)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• पुरावृत्तम्: an ancient occurrence
• पुरावृत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरा-वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक); पुरा (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘an event of old’

• यतः: from which, because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; यतस्-शब्दः कारणार्थे (because/from which)

• अति-आश्चर्यम्: a great wonder
• अति-आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति-आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक); अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘very wonderful’

• उत्तमम्: supreme, excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying atyāścaryam)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage addresses a king, declaring Nāga-tīrtha’s special boon for women—progeny fortune—and invites him to hear an ancient, wondrous episode that demonstrates it.

Characters & Entities

• Nāga-tīrtha
• Yayāti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-māhātmya often addresses household welfare; sacred places are portrayed as compassionate supports for devotees’ life-needs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāga-tīrtha at Arbuda, noted for granting child-blessings and family prosperity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Listening to the māhātmya (śravaṇa) is itself an auspicious practice; the bathing/visit is implied.