Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

त्रैलोक्यशोभितां देवीं दिव्य तोयां सुनिर्मलाम् । स नीचो यः पुमानेतां न वन्देत सरस्वतीम्

Transliteration

trailokyaśobhitāṃ devīṃ divya toyāṃ sunirmalām | sa nīco yaḥ pumānetāṃ na vandeta sarasvatīm

Translation

สรัสวตีคือเทวีผู้ประดับไตรโลก น้ำของพระนางเป็นทิพย์และบริสุทธิ์ยิ่ง ผู้ใดเป็นบุรุษแล้วไม่กราบนมัสการสรัสวตีนี้ ผู้นั้นต่ำทรามนัก

Word by Word

• त्रैलोक्य-शोभिताम्: adorned by the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्य-शोभिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभित (कृदन्त, √शुभ्/शोभ् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि/क्त (past passive participle) रूप ‘शोभित’

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दिव्य: divine
• दिव्य: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘तोयाम्’)

• तोयाम्: (as) water / river
• तोयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोया/तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुनिर्मलाम्: very pure
• सुनिर्मलाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘देवीम्/तोयाम्’)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नीचः: base, low
• नीचः: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘सः/पुमान्’)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• पुमान्: a man
• पुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एताम्: this (her)
• एताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (points to ‘सरस्वतीम्/देवीम्’)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• वन्देत: should worship/salute
• वन्देत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वन्द् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सरस्वतीम्: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Sarasvatī river with crystalline waters; pilgrims at the bank bowing with folded hands; one arrogant figure stands unbowed, visually marked as ‘low’ by shadow and distance from the river’s light.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Trailokya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence toward the sacred (vandana) is itself dharma; arrogance or neglect toward a purifier like Sarasvatī is condemned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sarasvatī as worship-worthy tīrtha-deity within Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vandana—bowing/saluting Sarasvatī (a devotional act associated with tīrtha visitation).