Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

प्रेक्षणीयेऽप्सरोवृंदं वाद्ये विद्याधरा वृताः । गंगाद्याः सरितः पाने गार्हपत्ये हुताशनः

Transliteration

prekṣaṇīye'psarovṛṃdaṃ vādye vidyādharā vṛtāḥ | gaṃgādyāḥ saritaḥ pāne gārhapatye hutāśanaḥ

Translation

Zum Anblick war eine Schar von Apsaras da; zur Musik standen Heerscharen von Vidyādharas bereit. Zum Trank gab es Flüsse, beginnend mit der Gaṅgā; und für das Hausfeuer war Hutaśana (Agni) selbst zugegen.

Word by Word

• प्रेक्षणीये: in the viewing/entertainment (place)
• प्रेक्षणीये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेक्षणीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अप्सरोवृन्दम्: group of Apsarases
• अप्सरोवृन्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अप्सरसां वृन्दम्)

• वाद्ये: in music/instrumental performance
• वाद्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• विद्याधराः: Vidyādharas
• विद्याधराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्याधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन; समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुष (विद्यां धरन्ति इति)

• वृताः: were chosen/appointed
• वृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (वृ—‘आवरणे/वरणे’) = ‘नियुक्ताः/वृताः’

• गङ्गाद्याः: beginning with the Ganges (etc.)
• गङ्गाद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गङ्गा + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गङ्गा-आदि = ‘Ganges and others’)

• सरितः: rivers
• सरितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• पाने: in drinking/water-service
• पाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• गार्हपत्ये: at the gārhapatya (household fire)
• गार्हपत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• हुताशनः: Agni (fire)
• हुताशनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुताशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुष (हुतं अश्नाति इति)

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial court-like assembly at Prabhāsa: apsaras dancing as spectacle, vidyādharas playing instruments overhead, personified rivers offering water, and Agni seated as the household fire—an icon of total auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Apsarases
• Vidyādharas
• Gaṅgā
• Rivers
• Agni (Hutaśana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Celestial luxuries mimic sacred realities (rivers, fire), reminding that true sanctity lies in dharmic use—worship, restraint, and pilgrimage—rather than display.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the Māhātmya’s sanctified frame; the verse also invokes Gaṅgā symbolically as the archetypal tīrtha-river.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied ritual vocabulary appears (gārhapatya fire), but no explicit prescription (vidhi) is stated in this verse.