Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तां दृष्ट्वा दर्शनीयांगीं देवराजसुतामिव । ऊचतुः समभिद्रुत्य नासत्यावश्विनावथ

Transliteration

tāṃ dṛṣṭvā darśanīyāṃgīṃ devarājasutāmiva | ūcatuḥ samabhidrutya nāsatyāvaśvināvatha

Translation

അവളെ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ—ദർശനീയ അവയവങ്ങളുള്ളവൾ, ദേവരാജന്റെ പുത്രിയെപ്പോലെ—നാസത്യന്മാരായ അശ്വിനീകുമാരന്മാർ ഓടിവന്ന് അവളോട് സംസാരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभाव (Gerund/Absolutive)

• darśanīya-aṅgīm: whose limbs are lovely to behold
• darśanīya-aṅgīm: Karma (Object; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: darśanīya (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅgī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: दर्शनीयानि अङ्गानि यस्याः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• devarāja-sutām: the daughter of the king of gods (Indra)
• devarāja-sutām: Upamāna (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-rāja (प्रातिपदिक) + sutā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: देवराजस्य सुता; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• iva: as if/like
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमार्थक (like/as)

• ūcatuḥ: (they two) said
• ūcatuḥ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपद

• samabhidrutya: having run up/approached quickly
• samabhidrutya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-abhi-drut (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभाव (Gerund); सम्+अभि उपसर्गयुक्त

• nāsatyau: the Nāsatyas
• nāsatyau: Karta (Subject; epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāsatya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• aśvinau: the Aśvins
• aśvinau: Karta (Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (episode locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Aśvin twins, identical and radiant, hurry toward Sukanyā; their hands gesture as they begin to speak; Sukanyā stands poised, composed, her beauty likened to Indra’s daughter; the moment freezes at the threshold of dialogue.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvinau (Nāsatyas)
• Sukanyā
• Indra (implied by 'devarāja')

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer beauty can attract even the divine; the narrative prepares to highlight inner virtue and dharmic restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra as the sacred narrative frame for Cyavana and Sukanyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative description.