Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

सौवर्णीं मृन्मयीं वापि स्वशक्त्या दारुनिर्मिताम् । रक्तवस्त्रद्वयं दद्यात्सावित्र्या ब्रह्मणः सितम्

Transliteration

sauvarṇīṃ mṛnmayīṃ vāpi svaśaktyā dārunirmitām | raktavastradvayaṃ dadyātsāvitryā brahmaṇaḥ sitam

Translation

സ്വശക്തിയനുസരിച്ച് സ്വർണ്ണം, മണ്ണ് അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മരംകൊണ്ടുള്ള പ്രതിമ അർപ്പിക്കണം; സാവിത്രീക്ക് ചുവന്ന വസ്ത്രയുഗ്മവും ബ്രഹ്മാവിന് വെളുത്ത വസ്ത്രവും സമർപ്പിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• सौवर्णीम्: golden
• सौवर्णीम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sauvarṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘प्रतिमाम्’ (पूर्वश्लोकात्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मृन्मयीम्: made of clay
• मृन्मयीम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛd (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘मृद्-मय’ = मृत्तिकामयी

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे

• स्वशक्त्या: according to one’s capacity
• स्वशक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/अनुसारार्थे (according to one’s ability)

• दारु-निर्मिताम्: made of wood
• दारु-निर्मिताम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāru (प्रातिपदिक) + nirmita (√mā/√māna?; here √mā with nir-; कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘प्रतिमाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; क्त-प्रत्यय (made/constructed)

• रक्त-वस्त्र-द्वयम्: a pair of red garments
• रक्त-वस्त्र-द्वयम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + vastra (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सावित्र्याः: of Sāvitrī
• सावित्र्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāvitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सितम्: white
• सितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘वस्त्रद्वयम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An altar with multiple possible icons: a small golden/clay/wooden Sāvitrī image; attendants holding a pair of red cloths for Sāvitrī and white cloths for Brahmā; the scene emphasizes orderly presentation.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is validated by sincerity and capacity—worship and charity should be performed according to one’s means, without neglecting reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha region), presented as a place where prescribed worship yields special merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering an image (gold/clay/wood) and donating garments: red for Sāvitrī and white for Brahmā.