Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

मातृवद्रक्षिता देवा वडवानलभीतितः । देवमातेति लोकेऽस्मिं स्ततः सा विबुधैः कृता

Transliteration

mātṛvadrakṣitā devā vaḍavānalabhītitaḥ | devamāteti loke'smiṃ stataḥ sā vibudhaiḥ kṛtā

Translation

Như người mẹ, Ngài đã che chở chư thiên khỏi nỗi kinh sợ Vaḍavānala—ngọn hỏa lực Vaḍavā. Vì thế, trong cõi đời này, bậc hiền trí đã tôn lập danh xưng của Ngài là “Devamātā,” Mẹ của chư Deva.

Word by Word

• mātṛ-vat: like a mother
• mātṛ-vat: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (like a mother)

• rakṣitāḥ: protected
• rakṣitāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakṣita (कृदन्त; √rakṣ रक्ष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle: ‘protected’)

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• vaḍavā-anala-bhītitaḥ: from fear of the Vaḍavā fire
• vaḍavā-anala-bhītitaḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vaḍavā (प्रातिपदिक) + anala (प्रातिपदिक) + bhīti (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिलन्त (ablatival adverb: ‘from/because of fear’); तत्पुरुष-समास (‘from fear of the Vaḍavā-fire’)

• deva-mātā-iti: as ‘Devamātā’
• deva-mātā-iti: Quotation/Label (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + iti (अव्यय)
• Form: ‘इति’ सहित उद्धरण; नामनिर्देश (‘as “Devamātā”’)

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• stataḥ: praised
• stataḥ: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: stuta (कृदन्त; √stu स्तु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त; (पाठरूप ‘स्ततः’ = ‘स्तुतः’/‘praised’)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• vibudhaiḥ: by the wise/learned (gods)
• vibudhaiḥ: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• kṛtā: was made/established
• kṛtā: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ कृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle: ‘made/established’)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (context likely a Purāṇic narrator continuing the Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devamātā Sarasvatī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Devas, distressed by the threat of Vaḍavānala, take refuge in Devamātā; the Goddess stands or sits as Gaurī-Sarasvatī, calming the fiery terror, her maternal gesture of protection (abhaya/varada) prominent.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Sarasvatī/Gaurī)
• Devas
• Vaḍavānala
• Devamātā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is revered as the divine mother whose compassion protects even the gods; her maternal power is a refuge from cosmic fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Goddess is celebrated with the title Devamātā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; the verse explains the origin of the Goddess’s title and renown.