Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 186

Devanagari script

चतुर्विंशद्गुणैर्युक्तं जगुर्गीतं च गायनाः । विश्वार्ची च घृताची च उर्वश्यथ तिलोत्तमा

Transliteration

caturviṃśadguṇairyuktaṃ jagurgītaṃ ca gāyanāḥ | viśvārcī ca ghṛtācī ca urvaśyatha tilottamā

Translation

Les chanteurs entonnèrent un chant doté de vingt-quatre excellences. Viśvārcī et Ghṛtācī, puis Urvaśī et Tilottamā, s’y joignirent également.

Word by Word

• चतुर्विंशत्-गुणैः: with twenty-four qualities
• चतुर्विंशत्-गुणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्विंशत् (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चतुर्विंशतः गुणाः)

• युक्तम्: endowed (with)
• युक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘endowed/connected’

• जगुः: they sang
• जगुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• गीतम्: a song
• गीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गै (धातु) → गीत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘song/that which is sung’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• गायनाः: singers
• गायनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• विश्वार्ची: Viśvārcī
• विश्वार्ची: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वार्ची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; नाम (अप्सराः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• घृताची: Ghṛtācī
• घृताची: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृताची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; नाम (अप्सराः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• उर्वशी: Urvaśī
• उर्वशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; नाम (अप्सराः)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक/प्रारम्भसूचक अव्यय (then/now)

• तिलोत्तमा: Tilottamā
• तिलोत्तमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिलोत्तमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; नाम (अप्सराः)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Apsarases—Viśvārcī, Ghṛtācī, Urvaśī, Tilottamā—enter in sequence, forming a radiant semicircle of singers around an unseen sanctum, with twenty-four ‘qualities’ symbolized as twenty-four small flames or gems encircling the melody.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Viśvārcī
• Ghṛtācī
• Urvaśī
• Tilottamā
• Apsarases
• Ravi (Sūrya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Excellence in devotional offering matters: worship is described as refined, disciplined, and collectively performed by celestial beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the narrative situates this celestial celebration as part of the site’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it narrates stuti through song with recognized artistic qualities.