Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

दृष्टाः पुरा महादेव गन्धर्वनगरे विभो । विश्वावसुगृहे कन्या असंख्याताः सहस्रशः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭāḥ purā mahādeva gandharvanagare vibho | viśvāvasugṛhe kanyā asaṃkhyātāḥ sahasraśaḥ

Translation

Autrefois, ô Mahādeva, Seigneur omniprésent, dans la cité des Gandharvas—dans la demeure de Viśvāvasu—l’on vit des jeunes filles par milliers, innombrables.

Word by Word

• दृष्टाः: seen
• दृष्टाः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (कन्याः इत्यस्य विशेषण); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• गन्धर्वनगरे: in the city of the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वनगरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व + नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विभो: O Lord
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• विश्वावसुगृहे: in the house of Viśvāvasu
• विश्वावसुगृहे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वावसु + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कन्याः: maidens
• कन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• असंख्याताः: countless
• असंख्याताः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + संख्यात (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘कन्याः’)

• सहस्रशः: by the thousand
• सहस्रशः: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (distributive adverb: ‘by thousands’)

Speaker

Nandī and Bhṛṅgī (reporting to Śiva, inferred from continuity)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādeva (addressed) / King (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A glimpse of Gandharva city—palatial halls in the house of Viśvāvasu—filled with innumerable maidens, shimmering like a celestial assembly, as the attendants describe the vision to Mahādeva.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Gandharva-nagara
• Viśvāvasu
• kanyāḥ (maidens)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even celestial realms and their riches are ultimately accountable to Śiva’s dharmic governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative frame remains Dharmāraṇya; this verse momentarily points to Gandharva-nagara as part of the cosmic setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse supplies narrative information about the Gandharva realm and Viśvāvasu’s household.