Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ततो गौरीसमादेशाल्लेपालब्धौ नृपोत्तम । मत्तं गजवरं दृष्ट्वा शिरस्तस्य समानयत्

Transliteration

tato gaurīsamādeśāllepālabdhau nṛpottama | mattaṃ gajavaraṃ dṛṣṭvā śirastasya samānayat

Translation

Kemudian, atas perintah Gaurī, setelah lulur itu didapat, wahai raja utama, ia melihat gajah terbaik yang sedang mabuk birahi, lalu membawa kepalanya.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• गौरीसमादेशात्: from Gaurī's command
• गौरीसमादेशात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी + समादेश (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गौर्याः समादेशः = Gaurī's command)

• लेप: paste
• लेप: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अलब्धौ: when (it was) not obtained / in the non-obtaining
• अलब्धौ: Adhikarana (Condition locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलब्ध (गम्/लभ्-धातु, क्त; नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (not obtained)

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (उत्तमः नृपः)

• मत्तम्: intoxicated/mad
• मत्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गजवरम्: a splendid/best elephant
• गजवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + वर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वरः गजः)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of that (elephant)/his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समानयत्: brought
• समानयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; सम्-आ-उपसर्ग (brought together/brought)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On Gaurī’s instruction, the king (or chief agent) obtains the unguent; seeing a rutting elephant, he brings its head as the needed head-material.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī (Gaurī)
• Elephant

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Obedience to divine instruction (ājñā) is portrayed as a dharmic act that serves a higher cosmic purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to the Arbuda Khaṇḍa narrative milieu; this verse itself does not praise a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative action describing the procurement of a head.