Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

पुत्रहीना तु या नारी नालिकेरं प्रयच्छति । पुत्रं सा लभते शीघ्रं सबलं लक्षणान्वितम्

Transliteration

putrahīnā tu yā nārī nālikeraṃ prayacchati | putraṃ sā labhate śīghraṃ sabalaṃ lakṣaṇānvitam

Translation

പുത്രഹീനയായ സ്ത്രീ തേങ്ങ അർപ്പിച്ചാൽ, അവൾ വേഗത്തിൽ ബലവാനും ശുഭലക്ഷണങ്ങളുള്ള പുത്രനെ പ്രാപിക്കും.

Word by Word

• पुत्रहीना: without a son
• पुत्रहीना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नञ्-तत्पुरुषार्थसदृशः अर्थः: पुत्रेण हीना), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with नारी

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/विशेषार्थक); particle 'but/indeed'

• या: who (a woman)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; Relative pronoun

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; Nominative singular

• नालिकेरम्: coconut
• नालिकेरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नालिकेर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• प्रयच्छति: gives, offers
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present 3rd sg.

• पुत्रम्: a son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; Demonstrative pronoun

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present 3rd sg.

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/रीतिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण); adverb

• सबलम्: strong
• सबलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद: स + बल), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with पुत्रम्

• लक्षणान्वितम्: endowed with auspicious marks
• लक्षणान्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक/क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः: लक्षणैः अन्वितः), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with पुत्रम्

Speaker

Unclear from snippet (within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya; likely Gaurī’s boon-context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Gaurī-sthāna context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed implicitly through the sequence)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sonless woman offers a coconut with folded hands at a Devī shrine in Prabhāsa; the narrative foreshadows the blessing of a strong, auspiciously marked child.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī-sthāna (implied)
• Dāna
• Nālikera (coconut)
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pious giving at a śakti-sthāna is portrayed as a dharmic means to seek family-blessings, not merely personal gain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is Gaurī’s sacred place at Prabhāsakṣetra (Gaurī-sthāna/Gaurīśvara milieu).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nālikera-dāna—offering a coconut as a religious gift/oblation in the kṣetra.