Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 176

Devanagari script

तत्र मध्यस्थितं दृष्ट्वा गोशृंगमृषिपुंगवम् । प्रणम्य दण्डवद्भूमौ स्तुत्वा स्तोत्रैरनेकधा

Transliteration

tatra madhyasthitaṃ dṛṣṭvā gośṛṃgamṛṣipuṃgavam | praṇamya daṇḍavadbhūmau stutvā stotrairanekadhā

Translation

Als sie Gośṛṅga, den erhabensten der Rishis, dort in der Mitte sitzen sahen, verneigten sie sich—wie ein Stab auf die Erde hingestreckt—und priesen ihn auf vielerlei Weise mit heiligen Hymnen.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• मध्यस्थितम्: standing in the middle
• मध्यस्थितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य-स्थित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: ‘मध्ये स्थितः’ → मध्यस्थित; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (गोशृङ्गमृषिपुंगवम्)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• गोशृङ्गमृषिपुंगवम्: Gośṛṅga, the foremost of sages
• गोशृङ्गमृषिपुंगवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोशृङ्ग-ऋषि-पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive determinative): ‘गोशृङ्गः (नाम) ऋषिः’ + ‘ऋषीणां पुंगवः’ → गोशृङ्गमृषिपुंगव; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund)

• दण्डवत्: prostrate (like a staff)
• दण्डवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय/उपमान)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक (adverb: ‘like a staff’, i.e., prostrate)

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• स्तुत्वा: having praised
• स्तुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund)

• स्तोत्रैः: with hymns
• स्तोत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अनेकधा: in many ways
• अनेकधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb: ‘in many ways’)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gośṛṅga-āśrama (Himavat)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the hermitage’s center sits Gośṛṅga, radiant and composed; the family lies fully prostrate (daṇḍavat) before him, then rises to offer layered hymns.

Characters & Entities

• Gośṛṅga Ṛṣi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching spiritual authority requires humility, reverence, and praise—inner surrender before seeking a remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sage’s āśrama in the Himālaya becomes a sanctified locus of dharma and healing in the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daṇḍavat praṇāma (full prostration) and stuti (hymnic praise) are shown as proper devotional conduct.