Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

प्रह्लाद उवाच । श्रुत्वा तासां विलपितं गोपीनां नंद नंदन । अनन्यशरणाः सर्वा भावज्ञो भगवान्विभुः । सांत्वयामास वचनैर्व्रजेशस्ता व्रजांगनाः

Transliteration

prahlāda uvāca | śrutvā tāsāṃ vilapitaṃ gopīnāṃ naṃda naṃdana | ananyaśaraṇāḥ sarvā bhāvajño bhagavānvibhuḥ | sāṃtvayāmāsa vacanairvrajeśastā vrajāṃganāḥ

Translation

ପ୍ରହ୍ଲାଦ କହିଲେ— ହେ ନନ୍ଦନନ୍ଦନ! ସେଇ ଗୋପୀମାନଙ୍କର ବିଲାପ ଶୁଣି, ସେମାନେ ସମସ୍ତେ ତୁମକୁ ଏକମାତ୍ର ଶରଣ ଭାବେ ଧରିଛନ୍ତି ବୋଲି ଜାଣି, ଭାବଜ୍ଞ ସର୍ବଶକ୍ତିମାନ ଭଗବାନ ବ୍ରଜେଶ ବ୍ରଜାଙ୍ଗନାମାନଙ୍କୁ ମୃଦୁ ବଚନରେ ସାନ୍ତ୍ୱନା ଦେଲେ।

Word by Word

• prahlādaḥ: Prahlāda
• prahlādaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prahlāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular masculine

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular perfect

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śru (धातु) + ktvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having heard’

• tāsām: of those (women)
• tāsām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन — Genitive plural feminine pronoun

• vilapitam: lamentation
• vilapitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi-lap (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular neuter; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) — ‘lamentation/that which was lamented’

• gopīnām: of the cowherd women (gopīs)
• gopīnām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन — Genitive plural feminine

• nanda: O Nanda
• nanda: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative singular masculine

• nandana: O son (delighter)
• nandana: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nandana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative singular masculine

• ananya-śaraṇāḥ: having no other refuge
• ananya-śaraṇāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ananya (प्रातिपदिक) + śaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural feminine; कर्मधारयः — ‘having no other refuge’

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural feminine

• bhāva-jñaḥ: knower of feelings
• bhāva-jñaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular masculine; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भावानां ज्ञः)

• bhagavān: the Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular masculine

• vibhuḥ: the all-powerful one
• vibhuḥ: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular masculine

• sāṃtvayāmāsa: consoled
• sāṃtvayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√tvai/tu (धातु: त्वै/तू ‘to soothe’)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular perfect; परस्मैपद

• vacanaiḥ: with words
• vacanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural neuter

• vrajeśaḥ: lord of Vraja
• vrajeśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vraja (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular masculine; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्रजस्य ईशः)

• tāḥ: those (women)
• tāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन — Accusative plural feminine pronoun

• vraja-aṅganāḥ: the women of Vraja
• vraja-aṅganāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vraja (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅganā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन — Accusative plural feminine; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्रजस्य अङ्गनाः)

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (sectional frame) / Vraja (scene)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience within the Dvārakāmāhātmya narration (likely sages/pilgrims)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda narrates: Krishna, understanding every feeling, gently consoles the refuge-less gopīs of Vraja; the emotional temperature shifts from accusation to soothing reassurance, with Krishna’s calm presence stabilizing the group.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Nanda-nandana, Vrajeśa)
• Gopīs
• Vraja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaraṇāgati is central: when devotees take exclusive refuge, the Lord who knows their inner feelings responds with compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Dvārakā-māhātmya (Dvārakā), while recalling Vraja as the sacred domain of intimate devotion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; the teaching emphasizes inner refuge (śaraṇāgati) and the Lord’s consoling grace.