Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 146

Devanagari script

ध्रुवाधाराण्यशेषाणि धिष्ण्यानि वरवर्णिनि । भ्राम्यद्रश्मिनिबद्धानि अधो जग्मुः सहस्रशः

Transliteration

dhruvādhārāṇyaśeṣāṇi dhiṣṇyāni varavarṇini | bhrāmyadraśminibaddhāni adho jagmuḥ sahasraśaḥ

Translation

Ô dame au teint gracieux, toutes les demeures célestes, appuyées sur le Pôle pour soutien, liées par des rayons tourbillonnants, chutèrent vers le bas par milliers.

Word by Word

• ध्रुवाधाराणि: having the Pole (Dhruva) as support
• ध्रुवाधाराणि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक) + आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (ध्रुवस्य आधारः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (धिष्ण्यानि)

• अशेषाणि: all, without remainder
• अशेषाणि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• धिष्ण्यानि: abodes/places (celestial stations)
• धिष्ण्यानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धिष्ण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वरवर्णिनि: O fair-complexioned lady
• वरवर्णिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरवर्णिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (वरा च सा वर्णिनी), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• भ्राम्यद्रश्मिनिबद्धानि: bound by moving rays
• भ्राम्यद्रश्मिनिबद्धानि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्राम्यत् (भ्रम् धातु, शतृ) + रश्मि (प्रातिपदिक) + निबद्ध (नि+बन्ध् धातु, क्त)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; ‘भ्राम्यद्-रश्मि’ (भ्राम्यन्ती रश्मिः) इत्युपपदसमास + ‘निबद्ध’ (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (धिष्ण्यानि)

• अधो: downwards
• अधो: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, दिशावाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• जग्मुः: went
• जग्मुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• सहस्रशः: by the thousand, in thousands
• सहस्रशः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण; ‘by thousands’

Speaker

Narrator addressing Devī (varavarṇinī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A Devī addressed as varavarṇinī (fair-complexioned lady)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The fixed Pole as cosmic support; innumerable celestial stations (dhruvādhārāṇi dhiṣṇyāni) appear tethered by spinning rays and then plunge downward in thousands, suggesting a catastrophic loosening of the heavens.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Dhiṣṇya (celestial stations)
• Rays of Sūrya (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order rests on stable supports; when foundational forces are disturbed, even the ‘fixed’ heavens appear to fall—hence the necessity of dharmic regulation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The māhātmya framework is Prabhāsa-kṣetra; cosmic descriptions amplify the sacred authority and wonder associated with the Prabhāsa tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription is mentioned in this verse.