Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

विश्वावसुश्च गन्धर्वो मेनका च वराप्सराः । सनत्कुमारसहितो वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः

Transliteration

viśvāvasuśca gandharvo menakā ca varāpsarāḥ | sanatkumārasahito vasiṣṭho bhagavānṛṣiḥ

Translation

วิศวาวสุผู้เป็นคันธรรพ์ เมนกาผู้อัปสรอันประเสริฐ และพระฤๅษีวสิษฐะผู้ควรบูชา พร้อมด้วยสันตกุมาร—เหล่าผู้รุ่งเรืองนี้สถิตเป็นผู้พิทักษ์อันศักดิ์สิทธิ์

Word by Word

• विश्वावसुः: Viśvāvasu
• विश्वावसुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वावसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; गन्धर्वविशेषः (proper name)

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

• गन्धर्वः: a Gandharva
• गन्धर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मेनका: Menakā
• मेनका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेनका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अप्सराविशेषा (proper name)

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

• वराप्सराः: excellent apsarases
• वराप्सराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरा-अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘excellent apsarases’)

• सनत्कुमारसहितः: accompanied by Sanatkumāra
• सनत्कुमारसहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनत्कुमार-सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘with Sanatkumāra’)

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ऋषिनाम (proper name)

• भगवान्: venerable, divine
• भगवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (venerable/divine)

• ऋषिः: sage
• ऋषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; वसिष्ठस्य समनाधिकरणम् (apposition)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquiring sage/pilgrim audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous gathering at Dvārakā’s sacred precinct: Viśvāvasu with vīṇā, Menakā poised in graceful stance, Vasiṣṭha serene with kamaṇḍalu and matted locks, and Sanatkumāra youthful-sage radiance—standing as auspicious guardians.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāvasu
• Menakā
• Sanatkumāra
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are protected and sanctified by exalted beings, indicating that tīrthas are living fields of dharma, not merely locations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, praised in the Dvārakā Māhātmya of the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated in this verse; it functions as a listing of revered presences/guardians connected with the site.