Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

गीतकृन्नर्तको नग्नः कंबली दहनप्रियः । हसनो नेत्रभंगश्च भ्रूविकारो विजृंभकः

Transliteration

gītakṛnnartako nagnaḥ kaṃbalī dahanapriyaḥ | hasano netrabhaṃgaśca bhrūvikāro vijṛṃbhakaḥ

Translation

“作歌者吉多克利特、舞者那尔塔卡、裸行者那格那、毯衣者甘巴利、喜火者达哈那普利耶；又有哈萨那、目裂者内特拉班伽、眉变者布鲁维迦罗、伸欠者维吉林婆迦”——此等随从，被称为神圣护卫之众。

Word by Word

• गीतकृत्: song-maker; singer
• गीतकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) → कृत् (कृदन्त, कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (गीतं करोति इति)

• नर्तकः: dancer
• नर्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नग्नः: naked
• नग्नः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• कंबली: Kambalī (proper name)
• कंबली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंबली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (नाम)

• दहनप्रियः: one fond of burning/fire
• दहनप्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दहन (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दहनस्य प्रियः)

• हसनः: Hasana (proper name / 'laughing one')
• हसनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (नाम)

• नेत्रभंगः: Netrabhaṅga (eye-distorter/breaker; proper name)
• नेत्रभंगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + भंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नेत्रस्य भंगः)

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

• भ्रूविकारः: Bhrūvikāra (eyebrow-twister; proper name)
• भ्रूविकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रू (प्रातिपदिक) + विकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भ्रुवोः विकारः)

• विजृंभकः: Vijṛmbhaka (one who yawns/expands; proper name)
• विजृंभकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + जृम्भ् (धातु) → जृंभक (कृदन्त, ण्वुल्/अक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि कृदन्त (agent noun: 'one who yawns/expands')

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of uncanny yet disciplined attendants—singers, dancers, ascetics, fire-lovers, and expressive-faced guardians—stand as a living mantra around Dvārakā’s threshold.

Characters & Entities

• Gītakṛt
• Nartaka
• Nagna
• Kaṃbalī
• Dahanapriya
• Hasana
• Netrabhaṅga
• Bhrūvikāra
• Vijṛmbhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha like Dvārakā is portrayed as ritually and cosmically protected—devotion includes reverence for the unseen guardians of the sacred space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, praised within the Dvārakā-māhātmya of the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse primarily lists members of the protective retinue.