Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

स्वर्धुनी शीतलो वातः पद्मर्किजल्कवासितः । स्वर्गे वाति शनैर्यद्वत्तथा न बलिमंदिरे

Transliteration

svardhunī śītalo vātaḥ padmarkijalkavāsitaḥ | svarge vāti śanairyadvattathā na balimaṃdire

Translation

La brise fraîche de la Gaṅgā céleste (Svadhunī), parfumée des filaments de lotus tiédis par le soleil, souffle doucement au ciel—mais une telle brise ne semble pas souffler dans la demeure de Bali.

Word by Word

• स्वर्धुनी: Svargā river (Gaṅgā)
• स्वर्धुनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्धुनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शीतलः: cool
• शीतलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वातः: wind
• वातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पद्मर्किजल्कवासितः: perfumed by lotus-sun(?) pollen/fragrance
• पद्मर्किजल्कवासितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्कि (प्रातिपदिक) + जल्क (प्रातिपदिक) + वासित (कृदन्त, √वास्/√वस् causative sense 'to perfume')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past participle) 'वासित'—'सुगन्धित/परिवासित'

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वाति: blows
• वाति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• शनैः: slowly
• शनैः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैस् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: 'slowly')

• यद्वत्: as
• यद्वत्: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadvat (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (correlative: 'as/just like')

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: तथार्थक-अव्यय (correlative: 'so/thus')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• बलिमन्दिरे: in Bali's abode/temple
• बलिमन्दिरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual speaker within the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene sacred precinct near Prabhāsa: lotus ponds and riverine channels; a cool, perfumed breeze moves through temple flags and flowering groves, contrasted with a distant, more austere ‘Bali-mandira’ ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Svardhunī (heavenly Gaṅgā)
• Svarga
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Heavenly comforts are portrayed as fruits of merit; their absence signals a different karmic or dharmic station.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Mahātmya context glorifies Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa by contrasting worldly and heavenly conditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears in this verse.