Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

कारण्डवैः प्लवैर्हंसैः कूर्मैर्मंडुभिरेव च । एतैरन्यैश्च कीर्णानि तथान्यैर्जलवा सिभिः

Transliteration

kāraṇḍavaiḥ plavairhaṃsaiḥ kūrmairmaṃḍubhireva ca | etairanyaiśca kīrṇāni tathānyairjalavā sibhiḥ

Translation

They were teeming with kāraṇḍava ducks, plava birds, and swans, with turtles and frogs as well—scattered with these and other creatures that dwell in the waters.

Word by Word

• कारण्डवैः: by/with kāraṇḍava ducks
• कारण्डवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• प्लवैः: by/with water-birds (plava)
• प्लवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• हंसैः: by/with swans
• हंसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• कूर्मैः: by/with turtles
• कूर्मैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• मण्डुभिः: by/with frogs
• मण्डुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय; particle ‘indeed/just’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय; conjunction ‘and’

• एतैः: by/with these
• एतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Pronoun used adjectivally, Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अन्यैः: by/with other
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (विशेषण) Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय; conjunction ‘and’

• कीर्णानि: scattered/filled
• कीर्णानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कॄ (धातु) → कीर्ण (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Past passive participle, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक; adverb ‘so/also’

• अन्यैः: by/with other
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (विशेषण) Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• जलवासिभिः: by/with water-dwellers (aquatic beings)
• जलवासिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष (जले वासी), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Tatpuruṣa ‘dwelling in water’, Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-jalāśaya (sacred waters of Prabhāsa)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aquatic life fills the sacred waters: kāraṇḍava ducks, plava birds, swans gliding, turtles surfacing, frogs along the banks—an animated yet peaceful sarovara.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsakṣetra
• kāraṇḍava
• haṃsa
• kūrma
• maṇḍūka
• jalavāsin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s sanctity is reflected in thriving life-forms—an image of abundance, balance, and purity supporting dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra and its life-filled lakes and ponds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the focus remains on praising the place through its sacred natural features.