Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

भ्राजमानेन शिरसा खमिवात्यन्तरूपिणम् । कुण्डलोद्धष्टगल्लं तु हारोद्द्योतितवक्षसम्

Transliteration

bhrājamānena śirasā khamivātyantarūpiṇam | kuṇḍaloddhaṣṭagallaṃ tu hāroddyotitavakṣasam

Translation

Mit strahlendem Haupt, von erhabener Gestalt wie der Himmel selbst; die Wangen von den Ohrringen gestreift, und die Brust vom Glanz einer leuchtenden Halskette erhellt—

Word by Word

• भ्राजमानेन: by/with (a) shining
• भ्राजमानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्राज् (धातु) → भ्राजमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय), तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे विशेषणरूपेण; Instrumental singular; ‘shining’

• शिरसा: with the head
• शिरसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• खम्: the sky
• खम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• इव: like/as
• इव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• अत्यन्तरूपिणम्: of exceedingly beautiful form
• अत्यन्तरूपिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्यन्त (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अत्यन्तं रूपं यस्य/अत्यन्तरूपः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (qualifying an implied object)

• कुण्डल-उद्धष्ट-गल्लम्: whose cheeks are brushed by earrings
• कुण्डल-उद्धष्ट-गल्लम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुण्डल (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्धष्ट (कृदन्त; √उद्+धष्/धृष्) + गल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग विशेषण, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular; ‘cheeks (galla) brushed/struck by earrings’

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis particle)

• हार-उद्द्योतित-वक्षसम्: whose chest is lit by a necklace
• हार-उद्द्योतित-वक्षसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हार (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्द्योतित (कृदन्त; √द्युत्/√उद्+द्युत्) + वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग विशेषण, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular; ‘chest illuminated by a necklace’

Speaker

Unspecified (deduced: narrator continuing iconographic praise of the manifested deity)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close, devotional portrait: the deity’s head shines like the sky; earrings graze the cheeks; a luminous necklace throws light across the chest—an iconographic ‘darśana’ moment.

Characters & Entities

• Implied: Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa (ornamented divine form)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The purāṇas teach devotion through vivid contemplation (dhyāna) of the divine form, which elevates the mind from fear to reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā-khaṇḍa sacred-water setting is implied; the verse itself is primarily a darśana-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the content supports meditative remembrance rather than a stated ritual.