Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तुंबरुर्नामगन्धर्वो घृताची च वराप्सराः । महोदरश्च नागेन्द्रो राक्षसश्च घटोत्कचः

Transliteration

tuṃbarurnāmagandharvo ghṛtācī ca varāpsarāḥ | mahodaraśca nāgendro rākṣasaśca ghaṭotkacaḥ

Translation

ที่นั่นมีคนธรรพ์นามว่า ตุมพรุ; และฆฤตาจี อัปสราผู้ประเสริฐ; มโหทรา เจ้าแห่งนาค; และรากษส ฆโฏตกจะ

Word by Word

• tuṃbaruḥ: Tumburu
• tuṃbaruḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṃbaru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय: नामनिर्देशार्थक (as called/namely)

• gandharvaḥ: a Gandharva
• gandharvaḥ: Apposition (Sāmānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ghṛtācī: Ghṛtācī
• ghṛtācī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛtācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• varā: excellent
• varā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अप्सराः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• apsarāḥ: an Apsaras
• apsarāḥ: Apposition (Sāmānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apsaras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (वैदिक/पुराणप्रयोगे दीर्घान्त-रूपम्)

• mahā-udaraḥ: Mahodara
• mahā-udaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + udara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (नाम): ‘महद् उदरम्’ (proper name Mahodara)

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

• nāga-indraḥ: lord of the Nāgas
• nāga-indraḥ: Apposition (Sāmānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘नागानाम् इन्द्रः’ (lord of serpents)

• rākṣasaḥ: a Rākṣasa
• rākṣasaḥ: Apposition (Sāmānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• ghaṭotkacaḥ: Ghaṭotkaca
• ghaṭotkacaḥ: Apposition (Sāmānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghaṭotkaca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (नाम)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas / viprendra addressed in the passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred perimeter of Dvārakā visualized as a mandala: Tuṃbaru with vīṇā, Ghṛtācī as radiant apsaras, Mahodara as jeweled nāga-king rising from waters, and Ghaṭotkaca as towering rākṣasa guardian—standing as directional sentinels around the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Tuṃbaru
• Ghṛtācī
• Mahodara
• Ghaṭotkaca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames tīrtha-protection as universal—celestial, nāga, and even rākṣasa lineages are harnessed in service of dharma around the sacred place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, whose greatness includes being attended by beings from multiple realms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive (a catalog of associated beings).