Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

भ्रातृभांडा भूतमाता तथैवोदकसेविता । संज्ञात्रयं स्मृतं देवि लोके विख्यातपौरुषम्

Transliteration

bhrātṛbhāṃḍā bhūtamātā tathaivodakasevitā | saṃjñātrayaṃ smṛtaṃ devi loke vikhyātapauruṣam

Translation

‘ഭ്രാതൃഭാണ്ഡാ’, ‘ഭൂതമാതാ’, കൂടാതെ ‘ഉദകസേവിതാ’—ഓ ദേവീ! ഈ മൂന്ന് നാമങ്ങൾ ലോകത്തിൽ പരാക്രമത്താൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമാണെന്ന് സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• भ्रातृभाण्डा: (named) ‘Brother’s casket/box’
• भ्रातृभाण्डा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + भाण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्तरि/उद्देशे), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भ्रातुः भाण्डा = brother’s vessel/box)

• भूतमाता: (named) ‘Mother of beings’
• भूतमाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + माता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूतानां माता)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• उदकसेविता: (named) ‘Water-attendant/served by water’
• उदकसेविता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवित (कृदन्त; √सेव् सेवने) + टाप्
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘सेवित’ + स्त्रीप्रत्यय; अर्थः—उदकेन सेविता/उदकं सेविता

• संज्ञात्रयम्: the three designations/names
• संज्ञात्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः संज्ञाः)

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/declared
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (स्मरणे)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is remembered/said’

• देवि: O देवी (Goddess)
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरणे), एकवचन

• विख्यातपौरुषम्: renowned for manliness/valor
• विख्यातपौरुषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विख्यात (कृदन्त; √ख्या प्रख्याने) + पौरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (विख्यातं पौरुषं यस्य/विख्यातं पौरुषम्)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced; addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (subsidiary guardian cult)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (Devī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva enumerates three celebrated names; the twin/composite guardians appear with symbolic attributes: paired-brother motif, maternal/host motif, and water-associated motif (shells, waves, water-pot).

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Bhrātṛbhāṃḍā
• Bhūtamātā
• Udakasevitā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Names (saṃjñā) carry theological memory—epithets preserve the power, function, and reputation of divine or semi-divine figures.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Prabhāsa-kṣetra, since these names occur within its māhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is primarily nominative and descriptive.