Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

एकां स्वाहां ददौ वह्नेः पितॄणां च ततः स्वधाम् । सप्तविंशच्छशाङ्काय अश्विन्याद्याः प्रकीर्तिताः

Transliteration

ekāṃ svāhāṃ dadau vahneḥ pitṝṇāṃ ca tataḥ svadhām | saptaviṃśacchaśāṅkāya aśvinyādyāḥ prakīrtitāḥ

Translation

ഒരു കന്യയായ സ്വാഹയെ അഗ്നിക്കു ദാനം ചെയ്തു; തുടർന്ന് പിതൃഗണങ്ങൾക്ക് സ്വധയെ നൽകി. പിന്നെ ചന്ദ്രനു ഇരുപത്തേഴു കന്യകളെ നൽകി—അശ്വിനി മുതലായ നക്ഷത്രനാമങ്ങളാൽ പ്രസിദ്ധർ।

Word by Word

• एकाम्: one (female)
• एकाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• स्वाहाम्: Svāhā
• स्वाहाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वह्नेः: of/for Agni (Fire)
• वह्नेः: Sampradāna (Recipient—genitive construction/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• पितॄणाम्: of/for the Pitṛs (ancestors)
• पितॄणाम्: Sampradāna (Recipient—genitive construction/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Sequencing/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अपादानार्थक (then/from that)

• स्वधाम्: Svadhā
• स्वधाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• सप्तविंशतिः: twenty-seven
• सप्तविंशतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + विंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numeral compound)

• शशाङ्काय: to the Moon
• शशाङ्काय: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशाङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन

• अश्विन्याद्याः: (the Nakṣatras) beginning with Aśvinī
• अश्विन्याद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्विनी (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अश्विनी-आदि (ending with Aśvinī etc.)

• प्रकीर्तिताः: are proclaimed/mentioned
• प्रकीर्तिताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त; √कीर्तय्/कीर्त्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Purāṇic māhātmya narration style within Prabhāsakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed in adjacent verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A triadic cosmic tableau: Agni receiving Svāhā as a radiant goddess amid flames; Pitṛs receiving Svadhā in a serene ancestral realm with offerings; Soma enthroned with a garland of 27 nakṣatra maidens encircling him like a zodiacal mandala.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Svāhā
• Agni (Vahni)
• Svadhā
• Pitṛs
• Candra (Śaśāṅka)
• Aśvinī
• Nakṣatras (27 lunar mansions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order (ṛta) is upheld through dharmic allotment—divine functions (fire, ancestors, lunar time) are sustained by sacred relationships.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Prabhāsa-kṣetra; this verse itself is a genealogical-cosmic teaching embedded within the Prabhāsa Māhātmya narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse provides doctrinal context for Pitṛ-related and lunar-time observances by naming Svadhā and the Nakṣatras.