Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा सहस्राक्षः पुष्करावर्तकान्घनान् । द्रुतमाज्ञापयामास वृष्ट्यर्थं जगतीतले

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | evamuktvā sahasrākṣaḥ puṣkarāvartakānghanān | drutamājñāpayāmāsa vṛṣṭyarthaṃ jagatītale

Translation

Pulastya said: “Having spoken thus, Sahasrākṣa (Indra) swiftly commanded the rain-bearing clouds called Puṣkarāvartakas to pour rain upon the surface of the earth.”

Word by Word

• pulastyaḥ: Pulastya
• pulastyaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having spoken)

• sahasrākṣaḥ: the thousand-eyed one (Indra)
• sahasrākṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास: सहस्रम् अक्षाणि यस्य सः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• puṣkara-āvartakān: Puṣkarāvartaka (named)
• puṣkara-āvartakān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṣkara (प्रातिपदिक) + āvartaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: पुष्करस्य आवर्तकाः/पुष्करावर्तक-नामकाः; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• ghanān: clouds
• ghanān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• drutam: quickly
• drutam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: drutam (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): शीघ्रम् (quickly)

• ājñāpayāmāsa: commanded
• ājñāpayāmāsa: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√jñā + ṇic (आज्ञा धातु-प्रयोगः causative)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) + लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘आज्ञापयामास’ = commanded

• vṛṣṭi-artham: for the sake of rain
• vṛṣṭi-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-प्रायः): वृष्ट्यर्थम् = वृष्टेः अर्थाय; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (purpose)

• jagatī-tale: on the surface of the earth
• jagatī-tale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagatī (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी): जगत्याः तलम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya (narrator)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Sahasrākṣa) on Airāvata or a cloud-throne, raising his hand in command; below, the Puṣkarāvartaka clouds gather in formation, beginning to pour rain over the earth.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)
• Puṣkarāvartaka clouds

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine governance is portrayed as purposeful—rain and prosperity follow a righteous, directed order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage forms the narrative setting that culminates in the naming and fame of Agnitīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes a divine command affecting rainfall.