Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वरं दत्त्वाऽभिजानासि कामं चैव वनस्पते । सिद्धिं प्रयच्छ मे नित्यं दन्तकाष्ठ नमोऽस्तु ते

Transliteration

varaṃ dattvā'bhijānāsi kāmaṃ caiva vanaspate | siddhiṃ prayaccha me nityaṃ dantakāṣṭha namo'stu te

Translation

โอ้เจ้าแห่งพฤกษา (วนัสปติ) ผู้ประทานพรและยังความปรารถนาให้สำเร็จ โปรดประทานความสำเร็จแก่ข้าพเจ้าเป็นนิตย์; โอ้ไม้ขัดฟัน ขอนอบน้อมแด่ท่าน

Word by Word

• वरम्: boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (Absolutive/Gerund); ‘having given’

• अभिजानासि: you know/recognize
• अभिजानासि: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present indicative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada; ‘you know/recognize’

• कामम्: as desired
• कामम्: Kriya-visheshana (Modal adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कामम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनुज्ञा/स्वेच्छा-अर्थे); Particle

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; Conjunction

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय; Emphatic particle

• वनस्पते: O lord of the forest (tree)
• वनस्पते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सिद्धिम्: success, accomplishment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रयच्छ: grant
• प्रयच्छ: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada; ‘give/grant!’

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; Dative Singular

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण); Adverb

• दन्तकाष्ठ: O tooth-stick
• दन्तकाष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Vocative, Singular

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Formulaic offering/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपात (अव्यय) ‘salutation’; often with dative/genitive

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada; ‘let there be’

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; Dative Singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; mantra text taught within the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A twig becomes a sacred presence: the devotee offers namaskāra to the tooth-stick as if to a small forest-deity; a subtle divine aura surrounds the vanaspati.

Characters & Entities

• Vanaspati
• Dantakāṣṭha
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple necessities are approached with reverence; nature is honored as a divine giver when used in dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, in whose māhātmya this daily-rite mantra is transmitted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A specific mantra addressed to Vanaspati/Dantakāṣṭha seeking siddhi and offering salutations before use.