Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

ततस्तूर्यशताकीर्णं नटनर्त्तकसंकुलम् । प्रावर्त्तत महापानं प्रभासे तिग्मतेजसाम्

Transliteration

tatastūryaśatākīrṇaṃ naṭanarttakasaṃkulam | prāvarttata mahāpānaṃ prabhāse tigmatejasām

Translation

ครั้นแล้ว ณ ปรภาสะ ท่ามกลางเสียงดุริยางค์นับร้อยและหมู่นักแสดงกับนางรำอันเนืองแน่น การดื่มสุราใหญ่ก็เริ่มขึ้นในหมู่ผู้มีเดชอันคมกล้า

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = thereafter

• तूर्यशताकीर्णम्: filled with hundreds of instruments
• तूर्यशताकीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक) + ākīrṇa (कृदन्त; ā-√kṝ (कॄ) / √kṝ? ‘to scatter’ + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तूर्यशतेन आकीर्णम्’ = filled with hundreds of musical instruments (qualifies महापानम्)

• नटनर्तकसंकुलम्: crowded with actors and dancers
• नटनर्तकसंकुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + nartaka (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘नटैः नर्तकैः च संकुलम्’ = crowded with actors and dancers (qualifies महापानम्)

• प्रावर्तत: began
• प्रावर्तत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vṛt (वृत्) (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘it began/started’

• महापानम्: a great drinking bout
• महापानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + pāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय = ‘महच्च तत् पानम्’ (a great drinking bout)

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण = in Prabhāsa

• तिग्मतेजसाम्: of the fierce/bright ones
• तिग्मतेजसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tigma-tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय = ‘तिग्मं तेजो येषाम्’ (of the sharp-radiant ones); genitive of possessors/participants

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, a grand revel begins: dense crowds, dancers and actors, and a storm of drums, conches, cymbals, and lutes—splendor edged with impending calamity.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Vṛṣṇis/Yādavas (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the mighty fall when self-control is lost; indulgence can become the doorway through which kāla manifests its decree.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra—well known as a powerful coastal tīrtha—serves as the stage of this pivotal episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; rather than prescribing, the verse narrates a conduct (mahāpāna) that contrasts with tīrtha-dharma.