Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वरं दत्त्वाऽभिजानासि कामं चैव वनस्पते । सिद्धिं प्रयच्छ मे नित्यं दन्तकाष्ठ नमोऽस्तु ते

Transliteration

varaṃ dattvā'bhijānāsi kāmaṃ caiva vanaspate | siddhiṃ prayaccha me nityaṃ dantakāṣṭha namo'stu te

Translation

Hỡi chúa tể của rừng cây, Ngài biết ban ân phúc và cũng làm trọn điều mong cầu. Xin ban cho con sự thành tựu luôn mãi; hỡi que chà răng, con kính lễ Ngài.

Word by Word

• वरम्: boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (Absolutive/Gerund); ‘having given’

• अभिजानासि: you know/recognize
• अभिजानासि: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present indicative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada; ‘you know/recognize’

• कामम्: as desired
• कामम्: Kriya-visheshana (Modal adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कामम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनुज्ञा/स्वेच्छा-अर्थे); Particle

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; Conjunction

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय; Emphatic particle

• वनस्पते: O lord of the forest (tree)
• वनस्पते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सिद्धिम्: success, accomplishment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रयच्छ: grant
• प्रयच्छ: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada; ‘give/grant!’

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; Dative Singular

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण); Adverb

• दन्तकाष्ठ: O tooth-stick
• दन्तकाष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Vocative, Singular

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Formulaic offering/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपात (अव्यय) ‘salutation’; often with dative/genitive

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada; ‘let there be’

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; Dative Singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; mantra text taught within the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A twig becomes a sacred presence: the devotee offers namaskāra to the tooth-stick as if to a small forest-deity; a subtle divine aura surrounds the vanaspati.

Characters & Entities

• Vanaspati
• Dantakāṣṭha
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple necessities are approached with reverence; nature is honored as a divine giver when used in dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, in whose māhātmya this daily-rite mantra is transmitted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A specific mantra addressed to Vanaspati/Dantakāṣṭha seeking siddhi and offering salutations before use.