Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

गोपालराजस्य गृहे रथेनादित्यवर्चसा । समागतो महाबाहुः कृष्णवेषानुगस्तथा

Transliteration

gopālarājasya gṛhe rathenādityavarcasā | samāgato mahābāhuḥ kṛṣṇaveṣānugastathā

Translation

Zum Haus des Kuhhirtenkönigs (Nanda) kam auf einem Wagen, der wie die Sonne strahlte, ein starkarmiger Held, in Gewändern, die Kṛṣṇas Tracht glichen.

Word by Word

• गोपालराजस्य: of King Gopāla
• गोपालराजस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपालराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—गोपालस्य राजा इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• रथेन: by/with a chariot
• रथेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• आदित्यवर्चसा: with sun-like radiance
• आदित्यवर्चसा: Karana (Instrumental qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदित्य-वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वर्चस्-शब्दः), तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—आदित्यस्य वर्चः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; विशेषणरूपेण (रथेन) सह

• समागतः: arrived
• समागतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘arrived/has come’

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed one
• महाबाहुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā-बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—महान् बाहुः यस्य/महाबाहुः (कर्मधारय-रूपेण प्रचलित विशेषण-नाम)

• कृष्णवेषानुगः: following/assuming Kṛṣṇa’s guise
• कृष्णवेषानुगः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण-वेष-अनुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कृष्णस्य वेषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + अनुगः (तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासः: वेषम् अनुगतः)

• तथा: thus/also
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Dvārakā-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vraja (Nanda-gṛha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant chariot, bright as the sun, stops at Nanda’s home; a mighty-armed figure steps down, wearing garments reminiscent of Kṛṣṇa, causing onlookers to waver between hope and uncertainty.

Characters & Entities

• Nanda (Gopālarāja)
• Uddhava (implied by context)
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s grace reaches devotees through His emissaries; even a messenger can become a bearer of divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nanda’s Gokula/Vraja is highlighted as a revered devotional locale, within the overarching Dvārakā-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse supports the theme of honoring the Lord’s representative.