Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 189

Devanagari script

भावान्भावविशारद्यः कुर्वन्त्यो विधिवद्बहून् । देवदुन्दुभयः शंखाः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः

Transliteration

bhāvānbhāvaviśāradyaḥ kurvantyo vidhivadbahūn | devadundubhayaḥ śaṃkhāḥ śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ

Translation

ভাববিশারদা তারা বিধিপূর্বক বহু শুভ আচার-অনুষ্ঠান সম্পন্ন করল। তখন দেবদুন্দুভি ও শঙ্খ শত শত, এমনকি সহস্র সহস্র ধ্বনিতে প্রতিধ্বনিত হল।

Word by Word

• भावान्: emotions/expressions
• भावान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• भाव-विशारद्यः: skilled in emotions
• भाव-विशारद्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘भावेषु विशारदाः’)

• कुर्वन्त्यः: performing
• कुर्वन्त्यः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कुर्वन्ती (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; ‘doing/performing’

• विधिवत्: properly
• विधिवत्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक अव्यय (according to rule)

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणं ‘भावान्’ प्रति

• देव-दुन्दुभयः: divine kettledrums
• देव-दुन्दुभयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + दुन्दुभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘देवानां दुन्दुभयः’/‘दैव्या दुन्दुभयः’)

• शंखाः: conches
• शंखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• शतशः: by the hundreds
• शतशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक अव्यय (by hundreds)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (then/and then)

• सहस्रशः: by the thousands
• सहस्रशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक अव्यय (by thousands)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic māhātmya narration style within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast celebratory rite: devotees expertly enact many auspicious observances; the sky and mandapa fill with hundreds and thousands of conches and divine kettledrums, suggesting a celestial-scale festival.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Conch (Śaṅkha)
• Dundubhi (divine drum)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion expresses itself through orderly, dharmic worship—so powerful that even the heavens respond with auspicious signs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha region) is being praised through the depiction of divine celebration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It emphasizes vidhivat—performing rites properly—along with maṅgala-vādya (auspicious instruments) as part of sacred observance.