Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 155

Devanagari script

नारायणगृहे देवी स्थिता देवीगणैर्वृता । अत्रांतरे गौतमस्तु गोवधान्मलिनीकृतः

Transliteration

nārāyaṇagṛhe devī sthitā devīgaṇairvṛtā | atrāṃtare gautamastu govadhānmalinīkṛtaḥ

Translation

دیوی نارائن کے گھر میں دیویوں کے جُھنڈ سے گھری ہوئی مقیم رہی۔ اسی دوران گوتَم گائے کے قتل کے سبب آلودہ ہو گیا۔

Word by Word

• नारायणगृहे: in Nārāyaṇa’s house
• नारायणगृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नारायणस्य गृहः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थितā: was staying
• स्थितā: Kriya (Predicative action/state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (was staying/standing)

• देवीगणैः: by/with groups of goddesses
• देवीगणैः: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवीनां गणाः); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), बहुवचन

• वृता: surrounded
• वृता: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (धातु) → वृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (surrounded)

• अत्रान्तरे: meanwhile
• अत्रान्तरे: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Temporal adverb/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (locative-meaning adverb): 'in the meantime/meanwhile'

• गौतमः: Gautama
• गौतमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• गोवधात्: from (the sin of) cow-killing
• गोवधात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गवां वधः); पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• मलिनीकृतः: was defiled
• मलिनीकृतः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मलिनी + √कृ (धातु) → मलिनीकृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (made impure/defiled)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nārāyaṇa-gṛha (within Mandara/Prabhāsa narrative)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside Nārāyaṇa’s sanctum-like dwelling, the Devi sits enthroned, encircled by devī-gaṇas with fly-whisks and lamps. In a parallel vignette, sage Gautama appears distressed, holding a kamaṇḍalu, shadowed by the stain of go-vadha-doṣa, seeking a path to purification.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Devī
• Devīgaṇa
• Gautama (ṛṣi)
• Go-vadha (cow killing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma stresses moral accountability: grave acts like cow-killing require purification and rectification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya frame, the narrative also points to Nārāyaṇa’s sacred abode as a protective refuge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse signals the need for purification (pavitrīkaraṇa), though the specific rite is stated in the next verse.