Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

परस्परं समागम्य सर्वास्ता व्रजयोषितः । विविक्ते कृष्णदूतं तं पप्रच्छुः शोककर्षिताः

Transliteration

parasparaṃ samāgamya sarvāstā vrajayoṣitaḥ | vivikte kṛṣṇadūtaṃ taṃ papracchuḥ śokakarṣitāḥ

Translation

പിന്നീട് വ്രജത്തിലെ സ്ത്രീകൾ എല്ലാവരും തമ്മിൽ കൂടി, ദുഃഖത്തിൽ ക്ഷീണിതരായി, ഏകാന്തത്തിൽ ആ കൃഷ്ണദൂതനോട് ചോദിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• परस्परम्: mutually/with one another
• परस्परम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; परस्पर-शब्दस्य अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः (mutually)

• समागम्य: having met/assembled
• समागम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-गम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having come together’

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘ता’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• व्रजयोषितः: the women of Vraja
• व्रजयोषितः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रज-योषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—व्रजस्य योषितः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• विविक्ते: in a secluded place
• विविक्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानविशेषण

• कृष्णदूतम्: Kṛṣṇa’s messenger
• कृष्णदूतम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कृष्णस्य दूतः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object apposition/कर्म-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पप्रच्छुः: asked
• पप्रच्छुः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• शोककर्षिताः: afflicted by grief
• शोककर्षिताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोक-कर्षित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—शोकेन कर्षिताः इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष; ‘ताः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Dvārakā-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vraja (rahasya-sthāna of gopī-saṅgama)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: All the Vraja women gather, faces worn by grief; they draw the messenger aside to a secluded spot—under a tree or in an inner courtyard—and question him intensely about Kṛṣṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Women of Vraja (Gopīs)
• Kṛṣṇa
• Kṛṣṇa-dūta (Uddhava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In separation, devotees seek truth directly—sincere inquiry becomes a form of devotion and emotional purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vraja is presented as a sacred community of devotion, while the Dvārakā-māhātmya frame ties it to Dvārakā’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes private, heartfelt dialogue and inquiry regarding the Lord.