Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

महाव्रतमुपास्थाय निघ्नपुत्रेण धीमता । तस्य तुष्टस्तदा भानुः स्यमन्तकमणिं ददौ

Transliteration

mahāvratamupāsthāya nighnaputreṇa dhīmatā | tasya tuṣṭastadā bhānuḥ syamantakamaṇiṃ dadau

Translation

智者尼格那之子受持大誓（摩诃誓戒）而修行其仪轨；当时婆奴（太阳神）心生欢喜，赐予他“善曼多迦”宝珠。

Word by Word

• महाव्रतम्: the great vow
• महाव्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाव्रत (प्रातिपदिक; महत् + व्रत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; compound: कर्मधारय (महद् व्रतम्)

• उपास्थाय: having undertaken/observed
• उपास्थाय: Kriya-viseshana (Absolutive/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; उपसर्ग: उप-; ‘having attended/served/undertaken’

• निघ्नपुत्रेण: by the son of Nighna
• निघ्नपुत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निघ्नपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक; निघ्न + पुत्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (निघ्नस्य पुत्रः)

• धीमता: by the intelligent (one)
• धीमता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (निघ्नपुत्रेण)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; तुष् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• भानुः: the Sun
• भानुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्यमन्तकमणिम्: the Syamantaka jewel
• स्यमन्तकमणिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्यमन्तक-मणि (प्रातिपदिक; स्यमन्तक + मणि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्यमन्तकस्य मणिः)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgarāditya (validated by precedent)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Satrājit, austere and radiant from vow-observance, stands before the blazing Sun; Sūrya manifests and hands over the Syamantaka jewel, depicted as a luminous gem emitting golden rays.

Characters & Entities

• Satrājit (son of Nighna)
• Bhānu (Sūrya)
• Syamantaka-maṇi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and vow-observance, when rooted in devotion, are shown to mature into divine grace and auspicious gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse supports the Nāgarāditya/Prabhāsa sacred narrative by recounting Sūrya’s boon-giving power, though the verse itself centers on the boon event.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of a ‘mahāvrata’—a major vow/discipline undertaken as devotional practice.