Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

प्रभो मया तदा दृष्टमाश्चर्यं गगनाद्भुवि । पुष्पमाला स्थिता कण्ठे प्रह्लादस्य स्वयं गता

Transliteration

prabho mayā tadā dṛṣṭamāścaryaṃ gaganādbhuvi | puṣpamālā sthitā kaṇṭhe prahlādasya svayaṃ gatā

Translation

“ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ครั้งนั้นข้าพเจ้าได้เห็นอัศจรรย์: พวงมาลัยดอกไม้ลอยลงจากฟ้าสู่ดินด้วยตนเอง แล้วมาประทับอยู่ที่คอของพระพรหลาท”

Word by Word

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• दृष्टम्: was seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriyā (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (was seen)

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Karta (Subject in passive construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘दृष्टम्’ इत्यस्य कर्तृस्थानीयं (what was seen)

• गगनात्: from the sky
• गगनात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• भुवि: on the earth
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• पुष्पमाला: a garland of flowers
• पुष्पमाला: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुष्पाणां माला), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थिता: was placed; stood
• स्थिता: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थे: स्थितवती (was placed/was situated)

• कण्ठे: on the neck
• कण्ठे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• प्रह्लादस्य: of Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादस्य: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: by itself; of its own accord
• स्वयम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आत्मनः/स्वतः बोधक (reflexive/emphatic adverb)

• गता: went; came
• गता: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थे: गतवती (went/came)

Speaker

Narrator within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa (contextual; likely Sūta recounting the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A ‘Lord’ addressed within the narrative frame (likely the immediate interlocutor in the kṣetra-mahātmya episode), and ultimately the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A garland of fresh flowers descends from the sky in a luminous arc and settles on Prahlāda’s neck; onlookers stare upward; light shafts break through clouds; the devotee remains composed, receiving grace without pride.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity publicly honors sincere devotion; auspicious signs manifest to protect and validate the righteous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa-region Vastrāpathakṣetra is the māhātmya frame, where miracles underscore the sanctity of the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the garland functions as a divine anugraha (grace-sign) rather than a human-performed ritual.