Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

वृन्दावने पद्मनेत्रः कुश हस्तश्च नैमिषे । गोपक्षेत्रे च गोविन्दः सुरेन्द्रो यमुनातटे

Transliteration

vṛndāvane padmanetraḥ kuśa hastaśca naimiṣe | gopakṣetre ca govindaḥ surendro yamunātaṭe

Translation

വൃന്ദാവനത്തിൽ ഞാൻ പദ്മനേത്രൻ (താമരനയനൻ); നൈമിഷത്തിൽ ഞാൻ കുശഹസ്തൻ (കുശധാരി). ഗോപക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ ഞാൻ ഗോവിന്ദൻ; യമുനാതീരത്ത് ഞാൻ സുരേന്ദ്രൻ, ദേവാധിപതി.

Word by Word

• वृन्दावने: in Vṛndāvana
• वृन्दावने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृन्दावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/स्थाननाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—वृन्दस्य (तुलसी/समूह) वनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• पद्मनेत्रः: lotus-eyed
• पद्मनेत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म + नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—पद्मम् इव नेत्रम् (कर्मधारय)

• कुशहस्तः: one holding kuśa-grass in hand
• कुशहस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कुशः हस्ते यस्य (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• नैमिषे: in Naimiṣa
• नैमिषे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/स्थाननाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गोपक्षेत्रे: in Gopakṣetra
• गोपक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/स्थाननाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—गोपानां क्षेत्रम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• गोविन्दः: Govinda
• गोविन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—गाः विन्दति/गोभ्यः विन्दः इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष; परम्परया नाम)

• सुरेन्द्रः: lord of the gods (Indra)
• सुरेन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—सुराणाम् इन्द्रः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• यमुनातटे: on the bank of the Yamunā
• यमुनातटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमुना + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—यमुनायाः तटः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛndāvana / Naimiṣa / Gopakṣetra / Yamunā-taṭa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional map: Kṛṣṇa lotus-eyed beneath kadamba trees in Vṛndāvana; a sage holding kuśa in Naimiṣa’s forest-circle; Govinda with cows in Gopakṣetra; Indra-like sovereign form shimmering on Yamunā’s bank with rippling blue waters.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛndāvana
• Naimiṣa
• Yamunā
• Gopakṣetra
• Padmanetra
• Govinda
• Surendra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti and Vedic dharma converge: tender devotion (Vṛndāvana/Govinda) and ritual sanctity (Naimiṣa/kuśa) are both divine pathways.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vṛndāvana, Naimiṣa, Gopakṣetra, and the Yamunā riverbank are celebrated as distinct seats of divine presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the mention of kuśa implies Vedic rites (saṃskāras, yajñas) as part of the Naimiṣa sacred atmosphere.