Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 160

Devanagari script

तावद्दिव्यविमानस्थः शिखण्डी गणनायकः । गच्छन्खे ददृशे कन्यां रूपौदार्य्यसमाकुलाम्

Transliteration

tāvaddivyavimānasthaḥ śikhaṇḍī gaṇanāyakaḥ | gacchankhe dadṛśe kanyāṃ rūpaudāryyasamākulām

Translation

Da nun sah Śikhaṇḍī, der Anführer der Gaṇas, der in einem göttlichen Vimāna saß und durch den Himmel zog, das Mädchen, übervoll an Schönheit und jugendlichem Glanz.

Word by Word

• tāvat: then; so long
• tāvat: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/परिमाणवाचक) = indeclinable (temporal/extent: 'so long/then')

• divya-vimāna-sthaḥ: situated in a divine aerial car
• divya-vimāna-sthaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक) + vimāna (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त; √sthā (स्था) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त 'स्थ' = 'standing/being in'; समासः: दिव्यविमाने स्थितः (locative-tatpuruṣa)

• śikhaṇḍī: Śikhaṇḍī
• śikhaṇḍī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śikhaṇḍin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम

• gaṇa-nāyakaḥ: leader of the gaṇas
• gaṇa-nāyakaḥ: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + nāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: गणानां नायकः

• gacchan: while going
• gacchan: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम्) (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'going' (simultaneous action)

• khe: in the sky
• khe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• dadṛśe: saw
• dadṛśe: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्सभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• kanyām: a maiden
• kanyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• rūpa-udārya-samākulām: filled with beauty and generosity/nobility
• rūpa-udārya-samākulām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + udārya (प्रातिपदिक) + samākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः: रूपेण उदार्येण च समाकुला (समाहार/तत्पुरुष-भाव)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine aerial car glides across the sky; Śikhaṇḍī, gaṇa-leader with distinctive crest/peacock-feather-like adornment, looks down and beholds the radiant maiden in the garden below.

Characters & Entities

• Śikhaṇḍī
• gaṇa (Śiva’s attendant)
• vimāna
• kanyā (maiden)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Purāṇic sacred geography, divine beings witness human conduct; beauty becomes a test that must be governed by humility and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, portrayed as a realm where the divine retinue (Gaṇas) moves and intervenes to uphold dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse introduces the agent (Gaṇa-nāyaka) who will enforce moral order.