Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 149

Devanagari script

कन्यानां तु सहस्रेषु प्रवरा रूपशालिनी । कौतूहलेन सा पित्रा प्रोक्ता क्रीडस्व भामिनि

Transliteration

kanyānāṃ tu sahasreṣu pravarā rūpaśālinī | kautūhalena sā pitrā proktā krīḍasva bhāmini

Translation

Among thousands of maidens she was the foremost, radiant in beauty. Out of affectionate curiosity her father said to her, “Play and enjoy yourself, O spirited one.”

Word by Word

• कन्यानाम्: of maidens/girls
• कन्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक-अव्यय (particle)

• सहस्रेषु: among thousands
• सहस्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• प्रवरा: the best/excellent
• प्रवरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—(सा) इति

• रूपशालिनी: possessing beauty
• रूपशालिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप-शालिनी (प्रातिपदिक; रूप + शालिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• कौतूहलेन: out of curiosity
• कौतूहलेन: Karana (Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतु/निमित्त (out of curiosity)

• सा: her
• सा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पित्रा: by (her) father
• पित्रा: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्तृ-कारक (agent in passive)

• प्रोक्ता: was addressed/told
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) used as passive predicate; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (सा) प्रोक्ता = 'she was told/said to'

• क्रीडस्व: play/enjoy yourself
• क्रीडस्व: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• भामिनि: O lovely/bright one
• भामिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधनपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya; traditional frame: Sūta to the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant maiden among many, singled out as foremost; her father addresses her with affectionate authority, gesturing toward play—an intimate courtly-garden threshold moment.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharvasenā
• Father (unnamed here)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly gifts like beauty are shown within a dharmic household setting, where elders guide life toward proper stages and duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra is the overarching sacred locale framing the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse advances the story through domestic dialogue.