Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । ब्रह्मन्षोडशसाहस्रं भार्य्याश्चाष्टाधिका मम । तासां मध्येऽभीष्टतमा विदर्भाधिपतेः सुता

Transliteration

śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca | brahmanṣoḍaśasāhasraṃ bhāryyāścāṣṭādhikā mama | tāsāṃ madhye'bhīṣṭatamā vidarbhādhipateḥ sutā

Translation

Śrī Kṛṣṇa phán: “Hỡi Bà-la-môn, Ta có mười sáu ngàn hoàng hậu, lại thêm tám vị nữa. Trong số ấy, người được Ta yêu quý nhất là ái nữ của vua xứ Vidarbha.”

Word by Word

• श्रीकृष्णः: Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• श्रीकृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीकृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• षोडशसाहस्रम्: sixteen thousand
• षोडशसाहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षोडश + साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular) (संख्यावाचक)

• भार्य्याः: wives
• भार्य्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• अष्टाधिकाः: eight more (in addition)
• अष्टाधिकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural) (भार्य्याः इति विशेषणम्)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तासाम्: of those (wives)
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मध्ये: among, in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभीष्टतमा: most beloved
• अभीष्टतमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभीष्ट + तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular) (सुताः इति/स्त्रीवाचकस्य विशेषणम्)

• विदर्भाधिपतेः: of the king of Vidarbha
• विदर्भाधिपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदर्भ + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुता: daughter
• सुता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Kṛṣṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Durvāsā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa answers calmly: he has sixteen thousand and eight queens; among them, the dearest is the Vidarbha king’s daughter (Rukmiṇī). The scene can hint at Rukmiṇī’s presence—graceful, modest, radiant.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Rukmiṇī
• Vidarbha
• Durvāsā
• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid vast royal grandeur, devotion and dharmic love are highlighted through the special honor given to Rukmiṇī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, as the seat of Kṛṣṇa’s immense yet dharmically ordered household.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides genealogical and household detail as part of the city’s māhātmya.