Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

सुपार्श्वः प्रभुरेतेषां संनद्धः पालयन्दिशम् । उदीच्यां दिशि विप्रेन्द्राः श्यामलश्च गणाधिपः

Transliteration

supārśvaḥ prabhureteṣāṃ saṃnaddhaḥ pālayandiśam | udīcyāṃ diśi viprendrāḥ śyāmalaśca gaṇādhipaḥ

Translation

এদের সকলের প্রভু, সজ্জিত (কবচধারী) সুপার্শ্ব সেই দিক রক্ষা করেন। হে বিপ্রশ্রেষ্ঠগণ! উত্তর দিশায় গণাধিপতি শ্যামল (আছেন)।

Word by Word

• सुपार्श्वः: Supārśva (a name)
• सुपार्श्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु-पार्श्वः = having good side/flank; proper name)

• प्रभुः: lord/master
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• संनद्धः: armed, equipped
• संनद्धः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + नह् (धातु) → संनद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'armed/arrayed'

• पालयन्: protecting
• पालयन्: Karta (Agent participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु) → पालयत् (शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; धातु: पाल् (to protect)

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• उदीच्याम्: in the northern (direction)
• उदीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• दिशि: in the direction
• दिशि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विप्रेन्द्राः: O best of brāhmaṇas
• विप्रेन्द्राः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense by context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विप्राणाम् इन्द्राः = best among brāhmaṇas)

• श्यामलः: Śyāmala (a name)
• श्यामलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्यामल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गणाधिपः: Gaṇādhipa (lord of the gaṇas; a name/epithet)
• गणाधिपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गणानाम् अधिपः = lord of hosts)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Supārśva, armoured and commanding, stands at the vāyavya quarter with a retinue behind him; to the north, Śyāmala—dark-hued gaṇa-chief—stands as sentinel near a boundary marker, both facing outward to protect the kṣetra while pilgrims pass inward toward the main shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Supārśva
• Śyāmala
• Gaṇādhipa
• Udīcī (north)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy geography is organized as a dharmic mandala—each direction has leadership and protection, reflecting cosmic order around the tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, mapped with northern guardians and gaṇa-leaders.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is a directional assignment and naming.