Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

वैष्णवानां प्रयच्छंति गोपीचं दनमृत्तिकाम् । येषां ललाटे तिलकः गोपीचंदनसंभवम्

Transliteration

vaiṣṇavānāṃ prayacchaṃti gopīcaṃ danamṛttikām | yeṣāṃ lalāṭe tilakaḥ gopīcaṃdanasaṃbhavam

Translation

Ils offrent l’argile sacrée de Gopīcandana aux Vaiṣṇava—ceux dont le front porte le tilaka né de Gopīcandana.

Word by Word

• वैष्णवानाम्: to/for the Vaiṣṇavas
• वैष्णवानाम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रयच्छन्ति: give, bestow
• प्रयच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• गोपीचन्दनमृत्तिकाम्: Gopī-candana clay
• गोपीचन्दनमृत्तिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपी-चन्दन-मृत्तिका (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—गोपीचन्दनस्य मृत्तिका (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तिलकः: tilaka mark
• तिलकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गोपीचन्दनसम्भवम्: arising from Gopī-candana
• गोपीचन्दनसम्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोपी-चन्दन-सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तिलकः इत्यस्य अर्थतः ‘गोपीचन्दनसम्भवः’); समासः—गोपीचन्दनात् सम्भवः (पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya; specific speaker not stated in the verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopīcandana (as a portable tīrtha-substance) in Dvārakā-māhātmya context

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vaiṣṇava pilgrim offers a small packet/bowl of Gopīcandana to another devotee; close focus on the forehead tilaka—clean, symmetrical—signifying belonging to Hari; background shows Dvārakā temple silhouettes and pilgrims in procession.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiṣṇavas
• Gopīcandana
• Tilaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring Vaiṣṇavas and supporting devotional practice (tilaka) through gifting sacred substances is praised as dharmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Dvārakā Māhātmya and draws on Dvārakā’s Vaiṣṇava devotional culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of Gopīcandana mṛttikā and applying Gopīcandana tilaka on the forehead.