Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

पुरूरवा नृपोप्यायात्तदा देवेंद्रसंसदम् । द्रष्टुं सुरांगनानृत्यं मनोहारि दिवौकसाम्

Transliteration

purūravā nṛpopyāyāttadā deveṃdrasaṃsadam | draṣṭuṃ surāṃganānṛtyaṃ manohāri divaukasām

Translation

ครั้งนั้นพระเจ้าปุรูรวาก็เสด็จไปยังท้องพระโรงแห่งเทวราชอินทรา เพื่อทอดพระเนตรระบำอันชวนหลงใหลของเหล่านางอัปสร ผู้ทำให้ชาวสวรรค์ทั้งหลายต้องตะลึงใจ

Word by Word

• पुरूरवाः: Purūravas
• पुरूरवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरूरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/indeed)

• आयात्: came
• आयात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) + आ- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• देवेन्द्रसंसदम्: to Indra's assembly
• देवेन्द्रसंसदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संसद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (संसद्), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवेन्द्रस्य संसद्)

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक (purpose)

• सुराङ्गनानृत्यम्: the dance of the celestial maidens
• सुराङ्गनानृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक) + नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (नृत्य), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुराङ्गनानां नृत्यम्)

• मनोहारि: charming
• मनोहारि: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोहरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying सुराङ्गनानृत्यम्)

• दिवौकसाम्: of the gods (heaven-dwellers)
• दिवौकसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवौकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Purūravā entering Indra’s jeweled assembly-hall, gazing toward a luminous stage where apsarases prepare to dance; gods seated in tiers, gandharvas with instruments.

Characters & Entities

• Purūravā
• Devendra (Indra)
• Surāṅganāḥ (Apsarases)
• Divaukas (Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted heavenly spectacles are portrayed as transient attractions; Purāṇas often use them to set up lessons on restraint and the consequences of desire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger setting is Setukhaṇḍa (Setu Māhātmya), associated with Setu/Rāmeśvara sacred geography, though this particular verse narrates an episode in Indra’s celestial court.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is stated in this verse.