Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 164

Devanagari script

गौरीरूपाः स्त्रियश्चान्या धरित्र्यां तास्तु प्रेषिताः । कृत्वा नामानि सर्वासां लोके पूज्या भविष्यथ

Transliteration

gaurīrūpāḥ striyaścānyā dharitryāṃ tāstu preṣitāḥ | kṛtvā nāmāni sarvāsāṃ loke pūjyā bhaviṣyatha

Translation

ഗൗരീരൂപം ധരിച്ച മറ്റു സ്ത്രീകളെ അപ്പോൾ ഭൂമിയിലേക്കു അയച്ചു. നിങ്ങളെല്ലാവർക്കും നാമങ്ങൾ നല്കി, നിങ്ങൾ ലോകത്തിൽ പൂജ്യരാകും.

Word by Word

• गौरीरूपाः: having the form of Gaurī
• गौरीरूपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गौरी + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘गौरीरूप’ (having Gaurī’s form)

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• अन्याः: other
• अन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—स्त्रियः

• धरित्र्याम्: on the earth
• धरित्र्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ताः: they (those women)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• प्रेषिताः: were sent
• प्रेषिताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-इष् (धातु) → प्रेषित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘sent/dispatched’—ताः इत्यस्य भावार्थे (स्त्रीलिङ्गे अपेक्षितं ‘प्रेषिताः/प्रेषिताः’ पाठभेद/अन्वय)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सर्वासाम्: of all (of them)
• सर्वासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण—स्त्रियः/ताः

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पूज्याः: worthy of worship
• पूज्याः: Karta (Subject complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पूज्)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (worthy to be worshipped), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• भविष्यथ: you (pl.) will become
• भविष्यथ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the luminous presence of Gaurī arise multiple women bearing her radiance; they descend to earth like sparks from a sacred fire, each receiving a distinct name and destined for worship.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī
• Dharitrī (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine Feminine manifests in many forms for the world’s uplift; honoring these forms is a way of honoring Śivā (the Goddess).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative supports the sanctity of Vastrāpatha Kṣetra and its surrounding goddess traditions within Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, pūjā (worship) of these named Gaurī-forms is endorsed as a dharmic practice.