Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वांछितं चाष्टभिर्भक्त्या ददाति पुरुषोत्तमः । सर्वं दद्यान्नवव्यूहो दुर्ल्लभो यः सुरोत्तमैः

Transliteration

vāṃchitaṃ cāṣṭabhirbhaktyā dadāti puruṣottamaḥ | sarvaṃ dadyānnavavyūho durllabho yaḥ surottamaiḥ

Translation

以虔敬之心，凭八次称诵，至上人格主（Puruṣottama）赐予所愿之恩。九重毗优诃（Vyūha）赐一切——即便诸天之最胜者亦难得亲近的那一位。

Word by Word

• वाञ्छितम्: the desired (boon)
• वाञ्छितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाञ्छित (प्रातिपदिक; √वाञ्छ् (धातु) + क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अष्टभिः: with eight (i.e., by eight)
• अष्टभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (संख्याशब्द), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• भक्त्या: by devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• पुरुषोत्तमः: the Supreme Person
• पुरुषोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः पुरुष-उत्तम (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः: ‘पुरुषेषु उत्तमः’)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: would give/may give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• नवव्यूहः: the ninefold formation (Navavyūha)
• नवव्यूहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यूह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः नव-व्यूह (द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: ‘नवसंख्यकः व्यूहः’)

• दुर्लभः: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम

• सुरोत्तमैः: by the best of gods
• सुरोत्तमैः: Karana/Agent (by/with; instrumental of comparison/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः सुर-उत्तम (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः: ‘सुरेषु उत्तमैः’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā-māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Puruṣottama/navavyūha nāma-ucchāra fruit)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crescendo scene: devotee chanting with intense bhakti; Puruṣottama appears granting the desired boon; then a cosmic diagram-like manifestation of the ninefold Vyūha surrounding the Lord, encompassing all directions; devas in the background gaze in astonishment, indicating his rarity even to them.

Characters & Entities

• Puruṣottama
• Nava-vyūha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is the key that makes the Lord—hard to reach even for gods—accessible, and it transforms remembrance into a source of complete auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, presented as a place where the Lord’s supreme form and emanations are especially efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotional, counted nāma-japa (eight and nine) linked to specific forms (Puruṣottama and the nava-vyūha).