Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कथं तु तत्र दैत्येन्द्राऽभवद्वै गोप्रचारकम् । तीर्थं कथय तत्त्वेन यत्र स्नातो जनार्द्दनः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kathaṃ tu tatra daityendrā'bhavadvai gopracārakam | tīrthaṃ kathaya tattvena yatra snāto janārddanaḥ

Translation

ഋഷിമാർ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദൈത്യേന്ദ്രാ! ആ സ്ഥലം എങ്ങനെ ‘ഗോപ്രചാരക’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമായി? ജനാർദ്ദനൻ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ തത്ത്വം സത്യമായി ഞങ്ങളോട് പറയുക.

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• दैत्येन्द्र: the lord of the Daityas
• दैत्येन्द्र: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यानाम् इन्द्रः)

• अभवत्: became/was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• गोप्रचारकम्: a cow-herder (one who tends cows)
• गोप्रचारकम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रचारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवां प्रचारकः)

• तीर्थम्: the sacred ford/place (tīrtha)
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कथय: tell (describe)
• कथय: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिजन्त from कथ्/कथ)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्त्वेन: in truth; accurately
• तत्त्वेन: Karana (Manner/Instrumental of manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; भाववाचक

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जनार्द्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• जनार्द्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopracāraka

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Prahlāda (addressed as daityendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages, earnest and composed, question Prahlāda about the origin of Gopracāraka; behind them, the tīrtha waters shimmer, hinting at Janārdana’s prior bath.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Prahlāda
• Janārdana
• Gopracāraka (Tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Understanding a tīrtha’s origin (nāma-kāraṇa) deepens faith and anchors pilgrimage in sacred history rather than mere travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopracāraka tīrtha—its true account is requested, tied to Janārdana’s bath.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; it is a request for the tīrtha’s authentic narrative.