Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सरस्वत्या विनिर्मुक्तां ब्रह्मलोके महाप्रभाम् । तेनासौ कौतुकाविष्टो वादयामास तां तदा

Transliteration

sarasvatyā vinirmuktāṃ brahmaloke mahāprabhām | tenāsau kautukāviṣṭo vādayāmāsa tāṃ tadā

Translation

那张维那琴由辩才天女萨拉斯瓦蒂所释出，在梵界放射大光明。那罗陀为好奇所动，当即弹奏起那琴。

Word by Word

• सरस्वत्या: by Sarasvatī
• सरस्वत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• विनिर्मुक्ताम्: released, set free
• विनिर्मुक्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-नि-√मुच् (धातु) → विनिर्मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle, feminine accusative singular

• ब्रह्मलोके: in Brahmaloka
• ब्रह्मलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मलोक (प्रातिपदिक: ब्रह्मन् + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• महाप्रभाम्: of great radiance
• महाप्रभाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्रभा (प्रातिपदिक: महा + प्रभा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (qualifying ताम्/विनिर्मुक्ताम्)

• तेन: by that (means)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (तत्)

• असौ: he (that person)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun nominative singular

• कौतुकाविष्टः: overcome by curiosity
• कौतुकाविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौतुक + आविष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √विश् (धातु) → आविष्ट, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle used adjectivally: 'entered/possessed by curiosity'

• वादयामास: he played (caused to sound)
• वादयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद्/√वाद् (धातु) (णिच्) → वादयति; periphrastic perfect
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद, परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Periphrastic perfect: 'caused to be played'

• ताम्: her/that (vīṇā)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय; temporal adverb

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāradeśvara (mythic causation via Sarasvatī’s vīṇā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant vīṇā, released by Sarasvatī, shines in Brahmaloka; Nārada, seized by curiosity, begins to play it, initiating a cosmic musical event.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Nārada
• Brahmaloka
• Vīṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even seemingly playful acts in divine realms can unfold into consequential dharmic narratives that sanctify earthly pilgrimage sites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Prabhāsakṣetra—this episode is part of the origin chain for Nāradeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes a narrative action (playing the vīṇā).