Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

गंभीरनाभिः सुश्रोणी पीनश्रोणिपयोधरा । पूर्णचन्द्रमुखी सा तु गूढगुल्फा सितानना

Transliteration

gaṃbhīranābhiḥ suśroṇī pīnaśroṇipayodharā | pūrṇacandramukhī sā tu gūḍhagulphā sitānanā

Translation

তার নাভি ছিল গভীর, কটি ছিল মনোহর; নিতম্ব ও স্তন ছিল পূর্ণ ও পুষ্ট; মুখ ছিল পূর্ণচন্দ্রসম দীপ্ত। তার গুল্ফ (গোড়ালি) ছিল সুগঠিত এবং মুখমণ্ডল ছিল শুভ্র-উজ্জ্বল।

Word by Word

• गंभीरनाभिः: deep-naveled
• गंभीरनाभिः: Karta-visheshana (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गंभीर + नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—गंभीरा नाभिः यस्याः

• सुश्रोणी: with beautiful hips
• सुश्रोणी: Karta-visheshana (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + श्रोणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—सुन्दरी श्रोणी यस्याः

• पीनश्रोणिपयोधरा: having full hips and breasts
• पीनश्रोणिपयोधरा: Karta-visheshana (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीन + श्रोणि + पयोधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—पीनौ श्रोणी-पयोधरौ यस्याः (having full hips and breasts)

• पूर्णचन्द्रमुखी: full-moon-faced
• पूर्णचन्द्रमुखी: Karta-visheshana (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण + चन्द्र + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—पूर्णचन्द्रवत् मुखं यस्याः

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—निपात/पदपूरण (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• गूढगुल्फा: with well-hidden/rounded ankles
• गूढगुल्फा: Karta-visheshana (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गूढ + गुल्फ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—गूढौ गुल्फौ यस्याः

• सितानना: fair-faced
• सितानना: Karta-visheshana (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—सितम् आननं यस्याः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (contextual attribution within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Continuation of the classical beauty catalogue: deep navel, graceful hips, full breasts, full-moon face, well-formed ankles, radiant fairness—an idealized feminine iconography.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It sets the narrative foundation by describing extraordinary beauty that becomes a catalyst for moral testing and later purification through tīrtha and Śiva-worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the overarching sacred landscape being glorified in this adhyāya’s Brahmeśvara-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive, preparing for the later tīrtha-snāna and liṅga-darśana instructions.