Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

वसन्तसहितं देवि रुद्रोऽन्धकनिषूदनः । गंगाद्वारमनुप्राप्य अपश्यद्यावदग्रतः

Transliteration

vasantasahitaṃ devi rudro'ndhakaniṣūdanaḥ | gaṃgādvāramanuprāpya apaśyadyāvadagrataḥ

Translation

Ô Déesse, Rudra—le destructeur d’Andhaka—parvint à Gaṅgādvāra et vit Vasantā devant lui.

Word by Word

• वसन्तसहितम्: accompanied by Spring
• वसन्तसहितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वसन्त-सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—वसन्तेन सहितः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष); (कामदेवम्) विशेषयति

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• रुद्रः: Rudra (Śiva)
• रुद्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अन्धकनिषूदनः: slayer of Andhaka
• अन्धकनिषूदनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक-निषूदन (प्रातिपदिक); √सूद् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—अन्धकस्य निषूदनः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• गंगाद्वारम्: Gaṅgā-dvāra (gateway of the Gaṅgā)
• गंगाद्वारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा-द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—गङ्गायाः द्वारम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अनुप्राप्य: having reached
• अनुप्राप्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु√प्राप् (धातु) → अनुप्राप्य (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having reached)

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यावत्: as far as
• यावत्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (as far as/while)

• अग्रतः: ahead/in front
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (in front/ahead)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgādvāra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed ‘devi’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra, famed as Andhaka’s slayer, arrives at Gaṅgādvāra and beholds Vasanta ahead—Gaṅgā’s flowing threshold, ascetic power meeting spring’s charm.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)
• Andhaka
• Gaṅgādvāra
• Vasantā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence sanctifies tīrthas; yet even sacred places do not shield desire from divine discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgādvāra, famed as a gateway-tīrtha of the Gaṅgā (traditionally identified with Haridwar).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not explicitly; Gaṅgādvāra is invoked as a sacred locale within the larger māhātmya narrative.