Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वाऽकाशगतां वाणीं देवदूतेन भाषिताम् । दृष्ट्वा पतिं विना गर्भं वाक्यमेत दुवाच ह

Transliteration

śrutvā'kāśagatāṃ vāṇīṃ devadūtena bhāṣitām | dṛṣṭvā patiṃ vinā garbhaṃ vākyameta duvāca ha

Translation

ครั้นได้ยินวาจาที่ก้องจากนภา อันทูตเทพได้กล่าวไว้ และเห็นว่าตนตั้งครรภ์โดยปราศจาก (การร่วม) กับสามี นางจึงกล่าวถ้อยคำนี้

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having heard’

• आकाशगताम्: situated in the sky
• आकाशगताम्: Karma (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकाश-गत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: आकाश + गत (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘gone in the sky’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘वाणीम्’ विशेषण

• वाणीम्: voice; speech
• वाणीम्: Karma (Object of ‘श्रुत्वा’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• देवदूतेन: by the divine messenger
• देवदूतेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: देव + दूत (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘god’s messenger’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• भाषिताम्: spoken
• भाषिताम्: Karma (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘वाणीम्’ विशेषण

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त: ‘having seen’

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object of ‘दृष्ट्वा’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/Without)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपपद), वियोग/अभाववाचक; द्वितीयासह (with accusative)

• गर्भम्: pregnancy; embryo
• गर्भम्: Karma (Object of ‘दृष्ट्वा’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: statement; words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object of ‘दुवाच’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘वाक्यम्’ विशेषण

• दुवाच: said; spoke
• दुवाच: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed
• ह: Prayojaka (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; emphasis/indeed)

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Gautamī’s next statement)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (episode tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (addressed earlier as nṛpa) and the audience; within scene, Gautamī is about to speak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine messenger’s words echo from the sky; Gautamī, startled, realizes her pregnancy without conjugal union and begins to speak—caught between fear, wonder, and the need for explanation.

Characters & Entities

• Gautamī
• devadūta (divine messenger)
• heavenly voice (ākāśagatā vāṇī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine revelation clarifies events that appear socially troubling, redirecting the devotee toward understanding the tīrtha’s sanctifying power.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The local Arbuda Khaṇḍa tīrtha, introduced via the devadūta’s heavenly proclamation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a narrative bridge to Gautamī’s praise of the tīrtha’s power.