Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । पितामहवचः श्रुत्वा बाढमित्येव सागरः । ब्राह्मणेभ्यः सुरत्नानि ददौ श्रद्धा समन्वितः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | pitāmahavacaḥ śrutvā bāḍhamityeva sāgaraḥ | brāhmaṇebhyaḥ suratnāni dadau śraddhā samanvitaḥ

Translation

ଈଶ୍ୱର କହିଲେ: ପିତାମହ (ବ୍ରହ୍ମା)ଙ୍କ ବଚନ ଶୁଣି ସାଗର ‘ବାଢମ୍’ (ତଥାସ୍ତୁ) ବୋଲି କହିଲା ଏବଂ ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାସହ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନଙ୍କୁ ଉତ୍ତମ ରତ୍ନ ଦାନ କଲା।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — speaker designation

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘said’

• पितामहवचः: the words of the grandsire (Brahmā)
• पितामहवचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह + वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — तत्पुरुषः (पितामहस्य वचः)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having heard’

• बाढम्: certainly; agreed
• बाढम्: Sambandha/Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बाढम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of assent)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सागरः: Sāgara (the ocean/king Sāgara)
• सागरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — subject

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन — ‘to the Brahmins’

• सुरत्नानि: excellent jewels
• सुरत्नानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — कर्मधारयः (सुन्दराणि रत्नानि)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘gave’

• श्रद्धा: with faith
• श्रद्धा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन — ‘with faith’ (manner)

• समन्वितः: endowed (with)
• समन्वितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ/अन्वि धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — qualifying ‘सागरः’

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) as narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Someśvara-samudra context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara narrates: Brahmā speaks; the ocean bows and says ‘bāḍham’; then distributes radiant jewels to brāhmaṇas who bless him—an archetype of faithful giving.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Sāgara (Ocean)
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful obedience to divine instruction culminates in dāna, reinforcing dharma alongside tīrtha-glory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, in the narrative context of sanctifying the ocean associated with Someśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Charity to brāhmaṇas (brāhmaṇa-dāna), specifically the giving of jewels with śraddhā.