Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ग्रामैश्चतुष्पथैर्घोरैर्गोकुलैराकुलीकृता । नररत्नैरश्वरत्नैर्गजरत्नैस्तु संकुला

Transliteration

grāmaiścatuṣpathairghorairgokulairākulīkṛtā | nararatnairaśvaratnairgajaratnaistu saṃkulā

Translation

അത് ഗ്രാമങ്ങളും തിരക്കേറിയ ചതുഷ്പഥങ്ങളും ഗോകുലങ്ങളും കൊണ്ട് നിറഞ്ഞിരുന്നു; കൂടാതെ നരരത്നങ്ങൾ, അശ്വരത്നങ്ങൾ, ഗജരത്നങ്ങൾ എന്നിവകൊണ്ടും സമൃദ്ധമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ग्रामैः: with villages
• ग्रामैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• चतुष्पथैः: with four-way crossroads
• चतुष्पथैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुस् + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘चतुष्पथ’ = चतुर्णां पथानां समाहारः/चौराहा (crossroads)

• घोरैः: terrible; fearsome
• घोरैः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (चतुष्पथ-विशेषणम्)

• गोकुलैः: with cowherd-settlements; herds of cows
• गोकुलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आकुलीकृता: made crowded; filled with bustle
• आकुलीकृता: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकुली-कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त; उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद: आकुली)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP); वसुधा/नगरी-विशेषणम्

• नररत्नैः: with gems among men; excellent men
• नररत्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘नररत्न’ = नराणां रत्नानि (excellent men)

• अश्वरत्नैः: with excellent horses
• अश्वरत्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘अश्वरत्न’ = अश्वानां रत्नानि (excellent horses)

• गजरत्नैः: with excellent elephants
• गजरत्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘गजरत्न’ = गजानां रत्नानि (excellent elephants)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधसूचक-अव्यय (particle: emphasis/contrast)

• संकुला: crowded; packed
• संकुला: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (वसुधा/नगरी-विशेषणम्)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (city and environs)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lively sacred city: four-way crossroads with merchants and travelers, nearby cowherd settlements with cattle, and royal processions with fine horses and elephants; the atmosphere is prosperous yet orderly.

Characters & Entities

• grāma (village)
• catuṣpatha (crossroads)
• gokula (cowherd settlement)
• aśva (horse)
• gaja (elephant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prosperity is portrayed as dharma-supported—excellent people and well-ordered settlements are ornaments of a blessed region.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa is being praised through its thriving social and pastoral landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a māhātmya-style depiction of abundance and order.