Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

घंटाचामरशोभाढयैर्दर्पणैश्चोपशोभितम् । कलशैर्द्वारविन्यस्तरत्नपल्लवसंयुतैः

Transliteration

ghaṃṭācāmaraśobhāḍhayairdarpaṇaiścopaśobhitam | kalaśairdvāravinyastaratnapallavasaṃyutaiḥ

Translation

وزِيدَ حُسنُهُ بمرايا لامعة، وزانته الأجراسُ والمراوحُ الطقسية (تشامارا)، ووُضِعَت عند المدخل قِلالٌ مباركة (كَلَشَة) مُزَيَّنةٌ بأغصانٍ مرصَّعةٍ بالجواهر وبراعمَ غضّة.

Word by Word

• ghaṃṭā-cāmara-śobhā-āḍhyaiḥ: with (things) rich in the beauty of bells and chowries
• ghaṃṭā-cāmara-śobhā-āḍhyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghaṃṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + cāmara (प्रातिपदिक) + śobhā (प्रातिपदिक) + āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (करण-बहुवचन), तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ghaṃṭā-cāmara-śobhāyāṃ āḍhyāḥ = rich in the beauty of bells and yak-tail fans)

• darpaṇaiḥ: with mirrors
• darpaṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

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

• upaśobhitam: beautifully adorned
• upaśobhitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√śubh (शुभ्—दीप्तौ/शोभने)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (well-adorned/beautified)

• kalaśaiḥ: with pots
• kalaśaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• dvāra-vinyasta-ratna-pallava-saṃyutaiḥ: furnished with jewel-ornaments placed at the doors
• dvāra-vinyasta-ratna-pallava-saṃyutaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvāra (प्रातिपदिक) + vi-√nyas (न्यस्—न्यासे) + ratna (प्रातिपदिक) + pallava (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃ-√yuj (युज्—योगे)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त-प्रधान (vinyasta, saṃyuta), तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष-श्रृंखला (dvāreṣu vinyastāni ratnapallavāni yaiḥ = furnished with jewel-sprouts placed at the doors)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the temple doorway: jewel-adorned kalaśas placed symmetrically, tender leafy sprigs attached; shining mirrors catch lamp-light; bells hang above; attendants hold cāmaras, creating a royal-divine welcome.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred space is to be approached with maṅgala (auspiciousness): devotional adornment expresses reverence and invites divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), celebrated in the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa as a supremely auspicious Śaiva sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Temple-maṅgala: placing kalaśas at the entrance and adorning the shrine with auspicious items (bells, cāmara, mirrors, jeweled foliage).