Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

उपायं सुमहद्ध्यात्वा जाह्नवीसंगसंभवम् । तेनादिष्टा गणाः सर्वे नंदिभृङ्गिपुरःसराः

Transliteration

upāyaṃ sumahaddhyātvā jāhnavīsaṃgasaṃbhavam | tenādiṣṭā gaṇāḥ sarve naṃdibhṛṅgipuraḥsarāḥ

Translation

他思惟出一项极其宏大的妙策，使得与阇诃那毗（Jāhnavī，即恒河）得以相合；遂命令一切伽那众，由难提（Nandin）与婆陵耆（Bhṛṅgin）为前导。

Word by Word

• उपायम्: a means/plan
• उपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Modifier (of upāyam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् ‘उपायम्’ इत्यस्य; समासः: सु-महत् (कर्मधारयः/उपपद-समासवत्)

• ध्यात्वा: having considered
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive) ‘having meditated/considered’

• जाह्नवीसंगसंभवम्: arising from association with Jahnavi (Ganga)
• जाह्नवीसंगसंभवम्: Modifier (of upāyam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाह्नवी (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् ‘उपायम्’ इत्यस्य; समासः: जाह्नवी-सङ्ग-सम्भव (तत्पुरुषः) ‘जाह्नव्याः सङ्गात् सम्भवः’

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• आदिष्टाः: were ordered
• आदिष्टाः: Kriya (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग) + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तम् (past passive participle) पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचनम्; ‘commanded/ordered’

• गणाः: attendants/hosts
• गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचनम्

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Modifier (of gaṇāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् ‘गणाः’ इत्यस्य

• नन्दि-भृङ्गि-पुरःसराः: with Nandi and Bhṛṅgī as leaders
• नन्दि-भृङ्गि-पुरःसराः: Modifier (of gaṇāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नन्दि (प्रातिपदिक) + भृङ्गि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् ‘गणाः’ इत्यस्य; समासः: नन्दि-भृङ्गि-पुरःसर (तत्पुरुषः) ‘नन्दि-भृङ्गी पुरःसरौ येषाम्’ (अग्रगामिनौ)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Proposed kuṇḍa of Arbuda (Gaṅgā-saṅgama enabling)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, after deep contemplation, issues a command; Nandin and Bhṛṅgin stand at the fore, with ranks of gaṇas ready—some carrying tools, others bearing stones and ritual vessels—against the rugged Arbuda slope.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī)
• Gaṇas
• Nandin
• Bhṛṅgin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is shaped through purposeful divine action; the Lord’s attendants become instruments for establishing pilgrim-benefiting tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda’s Acaleśvara area, where arrangements are made for Gaṅgā’s association.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual, but a directive initiating sacred construction—preparing the ground for a water-based holy spot (kuṇḍa/tīrtha).