Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16
Devanagari script
पपात पुष्पवृष्टिः खाद्विमुक्ताप्सरसां गणैः । सस्वनुर्देववाद्यानि कीर्त्युद्धारे महीपतेः
Transliteration
papāta puṣpavṛṣṭiḥ khādvimuktāpsarasāṃ gaṇaiḥ | sasvanurdevavādyāni kīrtyuddhāre mahīpateḥ
Translation
ആകാശത്തിൽ നിന്ന് അപ്സരാസ്സുകളുടെ സംഘങ്ങൾ വിടുവിച്ച പുഷ്പവൃഷ്ടി പതിഞ്ഞു. രാജാവിന്റെ കീർത്തിയുടെ ഉയർച്ച പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ച് ദിവ്യവാദ്യങ്ങൾ മുഴങ്ങി.
Word by Word
पपातfell/descended
पपात:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√पत् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘fell down/descended’
पुष्पवृष्टिःa shower of flowers
पुष्पवृष्टिः:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootपुष्प + वृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक); (समास)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘पुष्पाणां वृष्टिः’ = shower of flowers; Nominative singular
खात्from the sky
खात्:
अपादान (Source)
TypeNoun
Rootख (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ablative singular ‘from the sky’
विमुक्तreleased/sent forth
विमुक्त:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootविमुक्त (कृदन्त; √मुच् (धातु) + क्त, वि- उपसर्ग)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (implied with गणैः via compound); ‘released/sent forth’; used within compound phrase
अप्सरसाम्of the apsarases
अप्सरसाम्:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootअप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; Genitive plural ‘of the apsarases’
गणैःby groups
गणैः:
करण (Instrument/agent)
TypeNoun
Rootगण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; instrumental plural ‘by groups’
सस्वनुःresounded
सस्वनुः:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√स्वन् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘sounded/resounded’
देववाद्यानिdivine musical instruments
देववाद्यानि:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootदेव + वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक); (समास)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘देवानां वाद्यानि’ = divine instruments; Nominative plural
कीर्त्युद्धारेat the exaltation of (his) fame
कीर्त्युद्धारे:
अधिकरण (Occasion)
TypeNoun
Rootकीर्ति + उद्धार (प्रातिपदिक); (समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘कीर्तेः उद्धारः’ = exaltation/raising of fame; Locative singular ‘on the occasion of’
महीपतेःof the king
महीपतेः:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootमही + पति (प्रातिपदिक); (समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘महीपतेः’ = of the king; Genitive singular
Speaker
Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)
Characters & Entities
A
ApsarasM
Mahīpati (king, i.e., Indradyumna)FAQs
When dharma and merit mature, heaven itself responds with auspicious signs—flowers and divine music.
No specific tīrtha is named; the verse highlights celestial approval within the narrative.
None; it describes auspicious manifestations (puṣpavṛṣṭi, deva-vādya) rather than a human-performed rite.