Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

केशैः कंकणैर्दिव्यैः शक्रचापनिभैः शुभैः । हेमसूत्रैश्च जात्यैश्च मेखलाभिस्तथैव च

Transliteration

keśaiḥ kaṃkaṇairdivyaiḥ śakracāpanibhaiḥ śubhaiḥ | hemasūtraiśca jātyaiśca mekhalābhistathaiva ca

Translation

بأساورَ إلهيّةٍ مباركةٍ متلألئةٍ كقوسِ إندرا؛ وبخيوطٍ من ذهبٍ، وبحُلِيٍّ مختارةٍ نفيسةٍ، وبمناطقَ على الخصر كذلك.

Word by Word

• केशैः: with hair(-ornaments)/tresses
• केशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• कंकणैः: with bangles
• कंकणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंकण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• दिव्यैः: divine, splendid
• दिव्यैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; 'कंकणैः' इति विशेषण

• शक्रचापनिभैः: resembling Indra's bow
• शक्रचापनिभैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्र + चाप + निभ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'शक्रस्य चाप इव निभाः' (like Indra's bow)

• शुभैः: auspicious, beautiful
• शुभैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; विशेषण (auspicious/beautiful)

• हेमसूत्रैः: with gold strings
• हेमसूत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम + सूत्र (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'हेमस्य सूत्राणि' (gold threads/strings)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• जात्यैः: of fine quality, genuine
• जात्यैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; 'हेमसूत्रैः' इत्यादीनां विशेषण; जात्य = शुद्ध/उत्तमजाति (of fine quality)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• मेखलाभिः: with girdles
• मेखलाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेखला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थे (likewise)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; speaker not explicit in this excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Divine bracelets shimmering like a rainbow, golden threads and fine ornaments, girdles arranged for travel/ritual; the palette is iridescent yet disciplined, suggesting sacred preparation.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred preparation is portrayed as careful, auspicious ordering of one’s outer and inner life before engaging a tīrtha or vrata.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains within the unnamed kṣetra context of Adhyāya 111; the specific tīrtha is not stated here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct injunction; it continues the description of auspicious items typically associated with worship and observance.