Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

अष्टादशप्रकारेण षड्रसीकृतभोजनम् । देव्यास्तत्र महादेवि सावित्रीस्थलसन्निधौ

Transliteration

aṣṭādaśaprakāreṇa ṣaḍrasīkṛtabhojanam | devyāstatra mahādevi sāvitrīsthalasannidhau

Translation

وہاں، اے مہادیوی، ساوتری کے مقدّس استھان کی حضوری میں دیوی کے لیے اٹھارہ قسم کا، چھ ذائقوں سے کامل کیا ہوا بھوجن نذر کرنا چاہیے۔

Word by Word

• अष्टादश-प्रकारेण: by (in) eighteen ways/types
• अष्टादश-प्रकारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टादश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक) + प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारवाचक (by eighteen kinds)

• षड्-रसीकृत-भोजनम्: a meal prepared with six tastes
• षड्-रसीकृत-भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षड् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक) + रस (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु, क्त) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समस्तपदम् (six-flavoured prepared meal)

• देव्याः: of the Goddess
• देव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• सावित्री-स्थल-सन्निधौ: in the vicinity of the Savitri site
• सावित्री-स्थल-सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (in the vicinity of Savitri-place)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāvitrī-sthala (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (addressed as ‘mahādevi/devī’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a sanctified shrine-space marked as Sāvitrī-sthala, women and priests arrange an offering of eighteen prepared dishes, each representing the six tastes, before the Devī; lamps, flowers, and vessels of milk and ghee surround the altar.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī
• Sāvitrī-sthala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering abundance and completeness (six tastes, many varieties) symbolizes wholehearted devotion in a sacred geography context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sāvitrī-sthala in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, emphasized as the sanctified vicinity for offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare and offer a meal with six tastes, arranged in eighteen varieties, in the presence of Sāvitrī-sthala for Devī worship.