Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 854

Devanagari script

रूपवान्प्रतिमायुक्तो मत्स्यगंधेन संयुतः । सोमकांतिसमस्तत्र ह्यभवद्दिव्यगंधभाक्

Transliteration

rūpavānpratimāyukto matsyagaṃdhena saṃyutaḥ | somakāṃtisamastatra hyabhavaddivyagaṃdhabhāk

Translation

صار وسيماً حسنَ القوام، غير أنّه كان موسوماً برائحة السمك. وهناك، متلألئاً ببهاءٍ قمريّ، نال مع ذلك عطراً عجيباً مميّزاً.

Word by Word

• रूपवान्: handsome
• रूपवान्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूपवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘योगी/सः’ इत्यादि कर्तृविशेषणम्

• प्रतिमायुक्तः: endowed with a fine form/figure
• प्रतिमायुक्तः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिमा + युक्त (कृदन्त; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (युक्त), ‘युज्’ धातोः; ‘प्रतिमया युक्तः’

• मत्स्यगन्धेन: with a fishy smell
• मत्स्यगन्धेन: करण (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मत्स्यस्य गन्धः’

• संयुतः: joined/associated
• संयुतः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle)

• सोमकान्तिसमः: equal to the moon’s radiance
• सोमकान्तिसमः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोम + कान्ति + सम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सोमकान्त्या समः’ (moon-lustre-like)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adverbial location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दिव्यगन्धभाक्: possessing a divine fragrance
• दिव्यगन्धभाक्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य + गन्ध + भाज् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘दिव्यः गन्धः यस्य/यः भजते’ इति अर्थे ‘भाक्’ (भाज्-प्रातिपदिक)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced from Brahma–Nārada context in this chapter stream)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A figure newly transformed—handsome, moon-bright—yet with a narrative hint of fish-odor now replaced by a wondrous fragrance; attendants react with surprise; the setting suggests a sacred waterbody or shrine precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Matsyagaṃdha (fish scent)
• Soma-kānti (moonlike radiance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives often mark destiny through paradoxical signs—outer traits and inner radiance indicating a divinely guided life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, though this verse focuses on character description rather than a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive within the origin narrative.