Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

इति ब्रुवति देवर्षाववसाने नदीपतिः । प्रोवाच वचनं तस्यै वाचा मृदुसुवर्णया

Transliteration

iti bruvati devarṣāvavasāne nadīpatiḥ | provāca vacanaṃ tasyai vācā mṛdusuvarṇayā

Translation

ദേവർഷി ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞ് അവസാനിപ്പിച്ചപ്പോൾ, നദികളുടെ അധിപൻ അവൾക്ക് മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു—അവന്റെ വാക്കുകൾ മൃദുവും സ്വർണ്ണസമമായ മധുരവുമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• ब्रुवति: (he) speaks
• ब्रुवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg)

• देवर्षौ: in/at the divine sage
• देवर्षौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; वैदिक/आर्ष-रूप (locative sg used as देवर्षौ)

• अवसाने: at the end
• अवसाने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• नदीपतिः: lord of rivers (the ocean)
• नदीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नद्याः पतिः)

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

• वचनम्: speech, words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तस्यै: to her
• तस्यै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन

• वाचा: with (his) voice
• वाचा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• मृदुसुवर्णया: gentle and golden-sweet
• मृदुसुवर्णया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदु + सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (मृद्वी च सा सुवर्णा च/सुवर्णवत् मृदु) — qualifying वाचा

Speaker

Narrator (within the Dvārakā Māhātmya discourse); next speaker is Samudra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā seashore / Sāgara-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rukmiṇī (recipient of reply)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A transition scene: after the sage’s words, the Ocean (Samudra) responds with a gentle, golden-sweet voice, suggesting a numinous coastal setting at dusk.

Characters & Entities

• Devarṣi
• Nadīpati (Samudra)
• Rukmiṇī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It marks a respectful transition in sacred dialogue—teaching attentiveness to wise counsel and the continuity of dharmic narration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā and its coastal-sacred setting are implied; Samudra’s presence reinforces the sanctity of the western oceanic tīrtha landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative connector introducing Samudra’s speech.