Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

भूषितानां वरस्त्रीणां सर्वांगीणां विशेषतः । तत्रस्थः पिबते पानं शुभगन्धान्वितं शुभम्

Transliteration

bhūṣitānāṃ varastrīṇāṃ sarvāṃgīṇāṃ viśeṣataḥ | tatrasthaḥ pibate pānaṃ śubhagandhānvitaṃ śubham

Translation

In the company of exquisitely adorned noble women—beautiful in every limb—he remained there and drank an auspicious beverage, fragrant with pleasing scents.

Word by Word

• भूषितानाम्: of the adorned (women)
• भूषितानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूष् (धातु) → भूषित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त: ‘adorned’

• वरस्त्रीणाम्: of excellent women
• वरस्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + स्त्री (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘excellent women’

• सर्वांगीणाम्: of well-proportioned (women)
• सर्वांगीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + अङ्गिन्/अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि: ‘having all limbs (well-formed)’

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Deśa (Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• स्थः: being situated
• स्थः: Karta (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थ (कृदन्त, क्त/क्तवत्-प्राय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing/being’ (as in तत्रस्थः)

• पिबते: drinks
• पिबते: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पानम्: drink (beverage)
• पानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• शुभगन्धान्वितम्: endowed with pleasant fragrance
• शुभगन्धान्वितम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ + गन्ध + अन्वित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘endowed with auspicious fragrance’

• शुभम्: auspicious/pleasant
• शुभम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पानम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Primary interlocutor of the Prabhāsa-māhātmya section; not specified in given verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A coastal sacred precinct near Prabhāsa: noblewomen richly adorned with garlands and jeweled ornaments; a young prince partakes of a fragrant drink; the atmosphere is festive yet ominously poised.

Characters & Entities

• deva (implied)
• vara-striyaḥ (noble women)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse emphasizes ‘śubha’ (auspiciousness): in a holy region, even sensory pleasures are narrated as markers of sacred fortune.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s Raivataka environs, presented as inherently auspicious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the focus is on descriptive māhātmya.