Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीप्रह्लाद उवाच । पूजयेद्गणनाथं तं रुक्मिणं रुक्मभूषितम् । दुर्वाससं च कृष्णं च बलभद्रं च भक्तितः

Transliteration

śrīprahlāda uvāca | pūjayedgaṇanāthaṃ taṃ rukmiṇaṃ rukmabhūṣitam | durvāsasaṃ ca kṛṣṇaṃ ca balabhadraṃ ca bhaktitaḥ

Translation

Śrī Prahlāda sprach: „In Hingabe soll man jenen Gaṇanātha verehren und Rukmī, mit Gold geschmückt; ebenso Durvāsas, Kṛṣṇa und Balabhadra.“

Word by Word

• श्रीप्रह्लादः: Śrī Prahlāda
• श्रीप्रह्लादः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् प्रह्लादः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• गणनाथम्: Gaṇeśa (lord of hosts)
• गणनाथम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + नाथ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गणानां नाथः)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• रुक्मिणम्: the golden one
• रुक्मिणम्: Karman (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• रुक्मभूषितम्: adorned with gold
• रुक्मभूषितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुक्म + भूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भूष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (रुक्मेण भूषितः)

• दुर्वाससम्: Durvāsā
• दुर्वाससम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination particle)

• कृष्णम्: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination particle)

• बलभद्रम्: Balabhadra (Balarāma)
• बलभद्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल + भद्र (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination particle)

• भक्तितः: with devotion/devoutly
• भक्तितः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त/ablatival adverb: -तः)

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda, seated in a calm assembly, instructs pilgrims to worship Gaṇanātha and then Kṛṣṇa with Balabhadra; nearby stand symbolic figures—Rukmī glittering with gold ornaments and the austere sage Durvāsas—framing Dvārakā’s temple skyline and sea-horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Gaṇanātha
• Rukmī
• Durvāsas
• Kṛṣṇa
• Balabhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expressed through proper worship of revered deities and sages is upheld as a direct means to auspiciousness in sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where Prahlāda’s guidance frames a devotional map of worship connected to Kṛṣṇa’s sacred realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A devotional injunction to worship Gaṇanātha and honor associated figures (Rukmī, Durvāsas, Kṛṣṇa, Balabhadra) with bhakti.