Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

वाप्यः कूपास्तथा चैव तडागाः पल्वलानि च । सुपर्णश्चाथ ये नागाः सर्वे मूर्ता व्यवस्थिताः

Transliteration

vāpyaḥ kūpāstathā caiva taḍāgāḥ palvalāni ca | suparṇaścātha ye nāgāḥ sarve mūrtā vyavasthitāḥ

Translation

Auch Teiche und Brunnen, Wasserbecken und Seen waren da; und Suparṇa (Garuḍa) sowie die Nāgas—alle standen dort, leibhaftig gegenwärtig.

Word by Word

• वाप्यः: ponds/reservoirs
• वाप्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• कूपाः: wells
• कूपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• तडागाः: tanks/lakes
• तडागाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• पल्वलानि: pools/marshes
• पल्वलानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पल्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• सुपर्णः: Suparṇa (Garuḍa)
• सुपर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुपर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थक/प्रारम्भार्थक निपात (then/now)

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Relative pronoun, nominative plural)

• नागाः: Nāgas/serpents
• नागाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta-pradhana Visheshana (Subject-qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• मूर्ताः: embodied/in visible form
• मूर्ताः: Karta-pradhana Visheshana (Subject-qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural); भावे—मूर्तिमन्तः (embodied)

• व्यवस्थिताः: were stationed/arrayed
• व्यवस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (PPP nominative plural)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-jala-tīrthas (kuṇḍa/taḍāga/vāpyā/kūpa)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, ponds, wells, tanks, and lakes appear as personified guardians; Garuḍa stands radiant, while Nāgas emerge in dignified, embodied forms, forming a protective ring around the sacred waters.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa (Suparṇa)
• Nāgas
• Sacred waters (vāpī, kūpa, taḍāga, palvala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic vision sacralizes nature—waters and beings become participants in dharma when sacred rites are performed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya context highlights tīrthas and sacred waters as carriers of merit and purity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the imagery supports tīrtha-centered piety where waters and rites mutually sanctify.