Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

यत्र गंधर्वराजो वै घनवाहेति विश्रुतः । तस्य गंधर्वसेनेति ख्याता पुत्री महाप्रभा

Transliteration

yatra gaṃdharvarājo vai ghanavāheti viśrutaḥ | tasya gaṃdharvaseneti khyātā putrī mahāprabhā

Translation

அங்கே கந்தர்வர்களின் அரசன் ‘கனவாஹ’ என்று புகழ்பெற்றவன் (வாழ்ந்தான்). அவனுடைய பேரொளி மிக்க மகள் ‘கந்தர்வசேனா’ என்ற பெயரால் பிரசித்தி பெற்றாள்.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• गन्धर्वराजः: the king of the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic particle)

• घनवाह: Ghanavāha (name)
• घनवाह: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घनवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); नाम (proper name)

• इति: thus; called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotative particle)

• विश्रुतः: well-known; renowned
• विश्रुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of गन्धर्वराजः

• तस्य: of him; his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• गन्धर्वसेना: Gandharvasenā (name)
• गन्धर्वसेना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व + सेना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); नाम (proper name)

• इति: thus; called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotative particle)

• ख्याता: known; famed
• ख्याता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of पुत्री

• पुत्री: daughter
• पुत्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• महाप्रभा: of great splendor
• महाप्रभा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of पुत्री

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandharveśvara (legendary setting)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Gandharva king, Ghanavāha, with musical retinue near a Śiva shrine; beside him his radiant daughter Gandharvasenā, adorned with celestial ornaments, setting the stage for a forthcoming episode.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharveśvara
• Ghanavāha (Gandharva king)
• Gandharvasenā
• Gandharvas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are embedded in sacred memory—places gain sanctity through divine and semi-divine lineages connected to them.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gandharveśvara and its associated Gandharva tradition within Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse introduces the site’s associated mythic personages.