Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

भद्राश्वस्य घृताच्यंता जज्ञिरे दश चाप्सराः

Transliteration

bhadrāśvasya ghṛtācyaṃtā jajñire daśa cāpsarāḥ

Translation

De Bhadrāśva et de Ghṛtācī naquirent dix apsarās.

Word by Word

• भद्राश्वस्य: of Bhadrāśva
• भद्राश्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्राश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—भद्र + अश्व (कर्मधारय)

• घृताची-अन्ताः: those headed by Ghṛtācī
• घृताची-अन्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृताची (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—घृताची-नाम्न्या अन्ताः (घृताची-प्रमुखाः)

• जज्ञिरे: were born / came into being
• जज्ञिरे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; अत्र बहुवचनार्थे विशेषणम् (ten)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अप्सराः: Apsarases (celestial nymphs)
• अप्सराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual deduction within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous celestial scene: Bhadrāśva and Ghṛtācī as progenitors; ten apsarases emerging like rays, adorned with garlands, anklets, and veenas, surrounded by clouds and lotus motifs.

Characters & Entities

• Bhadrāśva
• Ghṛtācī
• Apsaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred narratives weave celestial lineages into the geography of tīrthas, implying that holy places resonate across human and divine realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra; this is part of the surrounding māhātmya narration rather than a standalone tīrtha-instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.