Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 176

Devanagari script

तत्र मध्यस्थितं दृष्ट्वा गोशृंगमृषिपुंगवम् । प्रणम्य दण्डवद्भूमौ स्तुत्वा स्तोत्रैरनेकधा

Transliteration

tatra madhyasthitaṃ dṛṣṭvā gośṛṃgamṛṣipuṃgavam | praṇamya daṇḍavadbhūmau stutvā stotrairanekadhā

Translation

അവിടെ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ ആസീനനായ ഋഷിപുങ്ഗവൻ ഗോഷൃംഗനെ കണ്ടു, അവർ ഭൂമിയിൽ ദണ്ഡവത് പ്രണാമം ചെയ്ത്, അനേകം സ്തോത്രങ്ങളാൽ പലവിധം സ്തുതിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• मध्यस्थितम्: standing in the middle
• मध्यस्थितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य-स्थित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: ‘मध्ये स्थितः’ → मध्यस्थित; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (गोशृङ्गमृषिपुंगवम्)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• गोशृङ्गमृषिपुंगवम्: Gośṛṅga, the foremost of sages
• गोशृङ्गमृषिपुंगवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोशृङ्ग-ऋषि-पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive determinative): ‘गोशृङ्गः (नाम) ऋषिः’ + ‘ऋषीणां पुंगवः’ → गोशृङ्गमृषिपुंगव; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund)

• दण्डवत्: prostrate (like a staff)
• दण्डवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय/उपमान)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक (adverb: ‘like a staff’, i.e., prostrate)

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• स्तुत्वा: having praised
• स्तुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund)

• स्तोत्रैः: with hymns
• स्तोत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अनेकधा: in many ways
• अनेकधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb: ‘in many ways’)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gośṛṅga-āśrama (Himavat)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the hermitage’s center sits Gośṛṅga, radiant and composed; the family lies fully prostrate (daṇḍavat) before him, then rises to offer layered hymns.

Characters & Entities

• Gośṛṅga Ṛṣi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching spiritual authority requires humility, reverence, and praise—inner surrender before seeking a remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sage’s āśrama in the Himālaya becomes a sanctified locus of dharma and healing in the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daṇḍavat praṇāma (full prostration) and stuti (hymnic praise) are shown as proper devotional conduct.