Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

कस्येयं पद्मपत्राक्षी पूर्णचन्द्रनिभानना । किंनामधेया तपति तप उग्रं कथं विभो

Transliteration

kasyeyaṃ padmapatrākṣī pūrṇacandranibhānanā | kiṃnāmadheyā tapati tapa ugraṃ kathaṃ vibho

Translation

Wessen ist dieses Mädchen mit lotusblattgleichen Augen und einem Antlitz wie der volle Mond? Wie lautet ihr Name, und warum übt sie so furchtbare Askese, o Mächtiger?

Word by Word

• कस्य: whose/of whom
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — ‘of whom/whose’

• इयम्: this (woman)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘this (woman)’

• पद्मपत्राक्षी: lotus-petal-eyed
• पद्मपत्राक्षी: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्मपत्र + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — बहुव्रीहि; ‘she whose eyes are like lotus-petals’

• पूर्णचन्द्रनिभानना: full-moon-faced
• पूर्णचन्द्रनिभानना: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्णचन्द्र + निभ + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — बहुव्रीहि; ‘she whose face resembles the full moon’

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — प्रश्नार्थक

• नामधेया: named
• नामधेया: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नामधेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘named/called’

• तपति: does austerity; burns
• तपति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — परस्मैपद

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘austerity’

• उग्रम्: fierce
• उग्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषण (तपः)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘how’

• विभो: O lord
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — ‘O mighty one’

Speaker

Rāvaṇa (in narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāvaṇa, intrigued, gestures toward a radiant maiden engaged in severe austerity near the cave—her eyes like lotus petals, face like the full moon, yet her posture firm and ascetic.

Characters & Entities

• Mandodarī (implied, identified next)
• Maya (addressed as vibhu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic stories often frame tapas as purposeful and relational—prompting inquiry into motive, dharma, and intended spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced generally; no specific vrata or rite is stated.