Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अष्टदं हरिच्छ्मश्रुं शंकुकर्णं विलोहितम् । श्वपादं ह्रस्वबाहुं च पिंगलं शुचिभूषणम्

Transliteration

aṣṭadaṃ haricchmaśruṃ śaṃkukarṇaṃ vilohitam | śvapādaṃ hrasvabāhuṃ ca piṃgalaṃ śucibhūṣaṇam

Translation

كان ذا ثمانيةِ أسنانٍ ولحيةٍ شقراءَ مائلةٍ إلى السُّمرة؛ وأذنان كالمحارةِ (الشَّنْخَة) بلونٍ مُحْمَرّ؛ وقدمان كأقدامِ الكلب وذراعان قصيران—قمحيَّ اللون، ومع ذلك مُزَيَّنٌ بحُلِيٍّ طاهرةٍ نظيفة.

Word by Word

• aṣṭadam: eight-toothed
• aṣṭadam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭa + da (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘having eight teeth/tusks’ (epithet)

• haricchmaśrum: tawny-bearded
• haricchmaśrum: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hari + śmaśru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘with tawny beard’

• śaṃkukarṇam: spike-eared
• śaṃkukarṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaṃku + karṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘cone/peg-eared’

• vilohitam: reddish
• vilohitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + lohita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘very red/reddish’

• śvapādam: dog-footed
• śvapādam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śva + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘dog-footed’

• hrasvabāhum: short-armed
• hrasvabāhum: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hrasva + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘short-armed’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• piṃgalam: tawny
• piṃgalam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: piṃgala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘tawny/brownish’

• śucibhūṣaṇam: pure-ornamented
• śucibhūṣaṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci + bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘having pure ornaments’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mythic figure with eight teeth, tawny beard, conch-like ears, reddish hue, dog-like feet and short arms, yet wearing clean ornaments—presented as a wondrous, unsettling birth-description within a sacred narrative setting.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It underscores that divine roles and authority are not dependent on outward beauty; dharma can manifest through unexpected forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The description occurs within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, part of the Prabhāsa sacred landscape narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive (iconography/physical traits).