Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 164

Devanagari script

पद्मपत्रेषु वै दुग्धा गंधर्वाप्सरसां गणैः । वत्सं चैत्ररथं कृत्वा शुचिगन्धान्मही तदा

Transliteration

padmapatreṣu vai dugdhā gaṃdharvāpsarasāṃ gaṇaiḥ | vatsaṃ caitrarathaṃ kṛtvā śucigandhānmahī tadā

Translation

அப்போது கந்தர்வர்–அப்சரஸர் கூட்டங்கள் தாமரை இலைகளில் பூமியைப் பால் கறந்து, சைத்ரரதனை கன்றாக வைத்து, தூய நறுமணங்களை அவள் வழங்கினாள்.

Word by Word

• पद्मपत्रेषु: on lotus-leaves
• पद्मपत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पद्मस्य पत्रेषु)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphasis)

• दुग्धा: was milked
• दुग्धा: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुह् (धातु) → दुग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (PPP), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (मह्याः सह)

• गन्धर्वाप्सरसाम्: of the gandharvas and apsarases
• गन्धर्वाप्सरसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व + अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (गन्धर्वाश्च अप्सरसश्च)

• गणैः: by groups
• गणैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वत्सम्: calf
• वत्सम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चैत्ररथम्: Caitraratha
• चैत्ररथम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्ररथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (absolutive/gerund): having made

• शुचिगन्धान्: pure fragrances
• शुचिगन्धान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुचि + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (शुचयः गन्धाः)

• मही: the Earth
• मही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: then)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gandharvas and Apsarases in a celestial grove ‘milk’ the Earth into broad lotus-leaves; the ‘milk’ appears as luminous, perfumed essence; Caitraratha stands as the calf amid divine musicianship.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharva
• Apsaras
• Caitraratha
• Padma (lotus)
• Gandha (fragrance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Refined beings obtain refined essences—fragrance symbolizes sattvic enjoyment and aesthetic devotion, contrasting with tamasic extractions like poison or blood.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, reinforcing Prabhāsa’s sacred narrative milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is mentioned; the lotus-leaf vessel is a poetic image within the cosmological account.