Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ततोऽसौ सुरभी राजन्गता नाकं यशस्विनी । ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशाद्यास्तत्रैवांतरधुस्ततः

Transliteration

tato'sau surabhī rājangatā nākaṃ yaśasvinī | brahmaviṣṇumaheśādyāstatraivāṃtaradhustataḥ

Translation

Alors, ô Roi, la glorieuse Surabhī s’en alla vers le ciel. Et, en ce même lieu, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa et les autres disparurent.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• asau: that (she)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• surabhī: Surabhī (the divine cow)
• surabhī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surabhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• gatā: went/gone
• gatā: Kriya (Participial predicate/क्रियाविशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gam (धातु) + gata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘gone’ (agreeing with surabhī)

• nākaṃ: to heaven
• nākaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थकक्रियायाः कर्म (destination)

• yaśasvinī: glorious/famed
• yaśasvinī: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yaśasvinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying surabhī)

• brahmaviṣṇumaheśādyāḥ: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa and others
• brahmaviṣṇumaheśādyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + viṣṇu + maheśa + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (ब्रह्म-विष्णु-महेश-आद्याः)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• antaradhuḥ: disappeared/vanished
• antaradhuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: antar + dhā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः अन्तर्- (to disappear)

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereafter)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Vyāsa continuing the account within the dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Epiphany-spot of Surabhī and Trimūrti (unnamed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (Rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Surabhī rises toward the heavens, radiant and celebrated; below, the spot where Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśa stood is now empty, with lingering light and a faint imprint—suggesting sanctity remaining after disappearance.

Characters & Entities

• Surabhī
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Śiva (Maheśa)
• King (listener addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine manifestations appear for dharmic purposes and withdraw when their work is complete, reminding one not to cling to forms but to uphold dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves as a narrative conclusion to the episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.