Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

अध्यात्मशिक्षया गोपीः प्रभुस्ता अन्वशिक्षयत्

Transliteration

adhyātmaśikṣayā gopīḥ prabhustā anvaśikṣayat

Translation

അപ്പോൾ പ്രഭു ആ ഗോപിമാരെ അധ്യാത്മശിക്ഷയാൽ, അഥവാ ആത്മതത്ത്വോപദേശത്തിലൂടെ, സമ്യകമായി ഉപദേശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• adhyātma-śikṣayā: by spiritual instruction
• adhyātma-śikṣayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyātma (प्रातिपदिक) + śikṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन — Instrumental singular feminine; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अध्यात्मस्य शिक्षा)

• gopīḥ: the gopīs
• gopīḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन — Accusative plural feminine

• prabhuḥ: the Lord
• prabhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular masculine

• tāḥ: them
• tāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन — Accusative plural feminine pronoun

• anvaśikṣayat: instructed
• anvaśikṣayat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-śās (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular imperfect; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Prahlāda (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa, serene and luminous, addresses the gopīs with a gentle teaching gesture; the sea-breeze of Dvārakā, temple spires and conch motifs in the background; the gopīs’ faces shift from grief to inward calm.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Gopīs
• Adhyātma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord uplifts devotees not only by comfort but by adhyātma—spiritual insight that steadies the heart beyond grief.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā-māhātmya frames the episode; the teaching is presented as part of the sacred narrative atmosphere of the Lord’s city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it highlights spiritual instruction (upadeśa) rather than a specific vrata, dāna, or snāna.