Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

सावित्र्युवाच । सकृज्जल्पंति राजानः सकृज्जल्पंति ब्राह्मणाः । सकृत्कन्या प्रदीयेत त्रीण्येतानि सकृत्सकृत्

Transliteration

sāvitryuvāca | sakṛjjalpaṃti rājānaḥ sakṛjjalpaṃti brāhmaṇāḥ | sakṛtkanyā pradīyeta trīṇyetāni sakṛtsakṛt

Translation

Sinabi ni Sāvitrī: “Ang mga hari ay nagsasabi ng panatang salita nang minsan lamang; gayundin ang mga Brahmin, minsan lamang. Ang isang dalaga’y ibinibigay sa pag-aasawa nang minsan lamang—ang tatlong ito ay ‘minsan at minsan lamang’.”

Word by Word

• sāvitrī: Savitri
• sāvitrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāvitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: once)

• jalpanti: speak, utter
• jalpanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jalp (जल्प् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• rājānaḥ: kings
• rājānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (once)

• jalpanti: speak
• jalpanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jalp (जल्प् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• brāhmaṇāḥ: brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (once)

• kanyā: a maiden/daughter (in marriage)
• kanyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• pradīyeta: should be given (in marriage)
• pradīyeta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• trīṇi: three
• trīṇi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• etāni: these
• etāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (once)

• sakṛt: once (only)
• sakṛt: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis): ‘once and only once’

Speaker

Sāvitrī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (father) and assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sāvitrī speaks with calm firmness, enumerating three ‘once-only’ dharmic acts; a courtly setting with the king and sages listening, Prabhāsa’s sacred aura implied.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Kings (rājānaḥ)
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Integrity of speech and commitment—once a righteous pledge is made, it should not be broken.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Prabhāsakṣetra, as the Māhātmya frames Dharma teachings through exemplary narratives.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It alludes to kanyā-pradāna (giving the maiden in marriage), a key component of vivāha-saṃskāra.