Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 160

Devanagari script

तावद्दिव्यविमानस्थः शिखण्डी गणनायकः । गच्छन्खे ददृशे कन्यां रूपौदार्य्यसमाकुलाम्

Transliteration

tāvaddivyavimānasthaḥ śikhaṇḍī gaṇanāyakaḥ | gacchankhe dadṛśe kanyāṃ rūpaudāryyasamākulām

Translation

അപ്പോഴേ ദിവ്യവിമാനത്തിൽ ഇരുന്ന ഗണനായകൻ ശിഖണ്ഡി ആകാശമാർഗ്ഗം സഞ്ചരിക്കുമ്പോൾ, രൂപൗദാര്യവും യൗവനശോഭയും നിറഞ്ഞ ആ കന്യയെ കണ്ടു।

Word by Word

• tāvat: then; so long
• tāvat: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/परिमाणवाचक) = indeclinable (temporal/extent: 'so long/then')

• divya-vimāna-sthaḥ: situated in a divine aerial car
• divya-vimāna-sthaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक) + vimāna (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त; √sthā (स्था) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त 'स्थ' = 'standing/being in'; समासः: दिव्यविमाने स्थितः (locative-tatpuruṣa)

• śikhaṇḍī: Śikhaṇḍī
• śikhaṇḍī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śikhaṇḍin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम

• gaṇa-nāyakaḥ: leader of the gaṇas
• gaṇa-nāyakaḥ: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + nāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: गणानां नायकः

• gacchan: while going
• gacchan: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम्) (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'going' (simultaneous action)

• khe: in the sky
• khe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• dadṛśe: saw
• dadṛśe: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्सभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• kanyām: a maiden
• kanyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• rūpa-udārya-samākulām: filled with beauty and generosity/nobility
• rūpa-udārya-samākulām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + udārya (प्रातिपदिक) + samākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः: रूपेण उदार्येण च समाकुला (समाहार/तत्पुरुष-भाव)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine aerial car glides across the sky; Śikhaṇḍī, gaṇa-leader with distinctive crest/peacock-feather-like adornment, looks down and beholds the radiant maiden in the garden below.

Characters & Entities

• Śikhaṇḍī
• gaṇa (Śiva’s attendant)
• vimāna
• kanyā (maiden)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Purāṇic sacred geography, divine beings witness human conduct; beauty becomes a test that must be governed by humility and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, portrayed as a realm where the divine retinue (Gaṇas) moves and intervenes to uphold dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse introduces the agent (Gaṇa-nāyaka) who will enforce moral order.