Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अप्सरोरगनागैश्च बहुभिस्तु समाकुलम् । केचित्स्तुवंति ईशं तु केचिन्नृत्यंति चाग्रतः

Transliteration

apsaroraganāgaiśca bahubhistu samākulam | kecitstuvaṃti īśaṃ tu kecinnṛtyaṃti cāgrataḥ

Translation

Chốn ấy đông nghịt các tiên nữ apsara, cùng loài rắn và nāga. Có kẻ tán dương Đấng Chúa Tể, có kẻ múa trước Ngài.

Word by Word

• अप्सरः: with apsarases
• अप्सरः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural (विसर्ग-लोपः संधौ)

• उरगनागैः: with serpents and nāgas
• उरगनागैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरग (प्रातिपदिक) + नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (उरगाः+नागाः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Dvandva compound, Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

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

• बहुभिः: with many
• बहुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; विशेषण

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• समाकुलम्: crowded/thronged
• समाकुलम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; विशेषण

• केचित्: some (people/beings)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• स्तुवन्ति: praise
• स्तुवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Present indicative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural

• ईशम्: the Lord (Īśa)
• ईशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• केचित्: some (others)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• नृत्यन्ति: dance
• नृत्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Present indicative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural

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

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from first-person declarations in the same passage, vv. 11–13)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Devikā-taṭa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Umā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous riverbank shrine-space crowded with apsarases and nāgas; some stand with folded hands singing hymns to Īśa, while others dance in semicircles before the unseen/enshrined Lord; the air feels perfumed and charged.

Characters & Entities

• Apsarases
• Uragas
• Nāgas
• Īśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship expresses itself as praise, devotion, and sacred celebration centered on the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), presented as a place where even celestial beings gather for Śiva’s worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse highlights stuti (praise) and devotional dance as modes of worship.