Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

घृतेन दीपकं तत्र या नारी संप्रयच्छति । रक्तवर्त्त्या महादेवि यावत्तस्यैव तंतव

Transliteration

ghṛtena dīpakaṃ tatra yā nārī saṃprayacchati | raktavarttyā mahādevi yāvattasyaiva taṃtava

Translation

ข้าแต่มหาเทวี สตรีผู้ใดถวายประทีปที่เติมเนยใส ณ ที่นั้น พร้อมไส้สีแดง—ตราบเท่าที่เส้นใยของไส้นั้นยังคงอยู่…

Word by Word

• घृतेन: with ghee
• घृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with ghee)

• दीपकम्: a lamp
• दीपकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (object)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

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

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

• संप्रयच्छति: offers/gives
• संप्रयच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+प्र+यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, 3rd person singular

• रक्तवर्त्त्या: with a red wick
• रक्तवर्त्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त+वर्त्ती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (रक्ता वर्त्ती यस्याः/या)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (सम्बोधन), एकवचन; Vocative singular; समासः—कर्मधारय (महा+देवी)

• यावत्: as many/as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधिवाचक (as long as/so many)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular (of that)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• तन्तवः: threads
• तन्तवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (threads)

Speaker

Unclear from snippet (addressing Mahādevī; continues into next verse for result)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (lamp-offering locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman offers a ghee lamp with a vivid red wick before the deity; the flame becomes the narrative measure of merit, its wick-threads symbolizing time and continuity.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī
• Dīpa (lamp)
• Ghṛta (ghee)
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering light (dīpa) symbolizes sustaining dharma and devotion; the text links this to enduring auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, in the setting of Gaurī’s sacred locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpa-dāna: offering a ghee lamp with a red wick at the holy place.