Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

उद्धवं प्रेषयामास गोकुले गोकुलप्रियः । सुहृदां प्रियकामार्थं गोपगोपीजनस्य च

Transliteration

uddhavaṃ preṣayāmāsa gokule gokulapriyaḥ | suhṛdāṃ priyakāmārthaṃ gopagopījanasya ca

Translation

The beloved of Gokula then sent Uddhava to Gokula, to fulfill the longing of his dear friends—the cowherds and the cowherd women.

Word by Word

• उद्धवम्: Uddhava
• उद्धवम्: Karma (Direct object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रेषयामास: sent
• प्रेषयामास: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + इष् (धातु) → प्रेषय् (णिजन्त)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic perfect/परस्मैपद); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative) ‘sent’

• गोकुले: to/in Gokula
• गोकुले: Adhikarana (Destination/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• गोकुलप्रियः: the beloved of Gokula
• गोकुलप्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकुल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोकुलस्य प्रियः)

• सुहृदाम्: of (his) friends
• सुहृदाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुहृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• प्रियकामार्थम्: for fulfilling (their) dear desires
• प्रियकामार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (प्रियस्य कामस्य अर्थम् / प्रियकामानाम् अर्थम्) ‘for the sake of fulfilling dear wishes’

• गोपगोपीजनस्य: of the community of cowherds and cowherd-women
• गोपगोपीजनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक) + गोपी (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समाहारार्थे तत्पुरुषः (गोपानां गोपीनां जनस्य)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Prahlāda (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokula/Vraja

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa dispatches Uddhava from Mathurā/Dvārakā-bound courtly world toward pastoral Gokula to console the yearning gopas and gopīs.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Uddhava
• Gokula
• Gopas
• Gopīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine love responds to devotees’ longing; separation (viraha) is honored and consoled through compassionate guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gokula is referenced as sacred landscape within Kṛṣṇa’s līlā, supporting the broader Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the mission of Uddhava to comfort devotees.