Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

सुपार्श्वः प्रभुरेतेषां संनद्धः पालयन्दिशम् । उदीच्यां दिशि विप्रेन्द्राः श्यामलश्च गणाधिपः

Transliteration

supārśvaḥ prabhureteṣāṃ saṃnaddhaḥ pālayandiśam | udīcyāṃ diśi viprendrāḥ śyāmalaśca gaṇādhipaḥ

Translation

ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਸਭ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਸੁਪਾਰਸ਼ਵ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਸਜਜਿਤ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਦਿਸ਼ਾ ਦੀ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠੋ, ਉੱਤਰੀ ਦਿਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਿਆਮਲ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਗਣਾਂ ਦਾ ਅਧਿਪਤੀ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• सुपार्श्वः: Supārśva (a name)
• सुपार्श्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु-पार्श्वः = having good side/flank; proper name)

• प्रभुः: lord/master
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• संनद्धः: armed, equipped
• संनद्धः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + नह् (धातु) → संनद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'armed/arrayed'

• पालयन्: protecting
• पालयन्: Karta (Agent participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु) → पालयत् (शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; धातु: पाल् (to protect)

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• उदीच्याम्: in the northern (direction)
• उदीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• दिशि: in the direction
• दिशि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विप्रेन्द्राः: O best of brāhmaṇas
• विप्रेन्द्राः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense by context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विप्राणाम् इन्द्राः = best among brāhmaṇas)

• श्यामलः: Śyāmala (a name)
• श्यामलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्यामल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• गणाधिपः: Gaṇādhipa (lord of the gaṇas; a name/epithet)
• गणाधिपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गणानाम् अधिपः = lord of hosts)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Supārśva, armoured and commanding, stands at the vāyavya quarter with a retinue behind him; to the north, Śyāmala—dark-hued gaṇa-chief—stands as sentinel near a boundary marker, both facing outward to protect the kṣetra while pilgrims pass inward toward the main shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Supārśva
• Śyāmala
• Gaṇādhipa
• Udīcī (north)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy geography is organized as a dharmic mandala—each direction has leadership and protection, reflecting cosmic order around the tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, mapped with northern guardians and gaṇa-leaders.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is a directional assignment and naming.