Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

मणिकुंडलविद्योतन्मुखमंडलविभ्रमाम् । नवकुम्कुमपंकांक कपोलदलदर्पणाम्

Transliteration

maṇikuṃḍalavidyotanmukhamaṃḍalavibhramām | navakumkumapaṃkāṃka kapoladaladarpaṇām

Translation

Ihr Antlitz leuchtete im Glanz der mit Edelsteinen besetzten Ohrringe; und ihre Wangen—wie spiegelgleiche Blütenblätter—waren vom frischen, karmesinroten Paste des neuen Kuṅkuma gezeichnet.

Word by Word

• मणि-कुण्डल-विद्योतत्-मुख-मण्डल-विभ्रमाम्: her whose face-circle is made splendid by the radiance of jeweled earrings
• मणि-कुण्डल-विद्योतत्-मुख-मण्डल-विभ्रमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मणि (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्डल (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्योतत् (कृदन्त; √द्युत् (धातु) शतृ) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक) + विभ्रमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (fem. acc. sg.)

• नव-कुङ्कुम-पङ्क-अङ्क: marked with fresh saffron-paste
• नव-कुङ्कुम-पङ्क-अङ्क: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक) + कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक) + पङ्क (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपम्; समासपूर्वपद (विशेषणम्) — ‘नवकुङ्कुमपङ्केन अङ्कः (चिह्नः)’ इति

• कपोल-दल-दर्पणाम्: having cheeks like mirror-like petals (i.e., petal-smooth, reflective cheeks)
• कपोल-दल-दर्पणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपोल (प्रातिपदिक) + दल (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्पणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (fem. acc. sg.)

Speaker

Narratorial/ritual instruction voice within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa (context: dhyāna-śloka sequence)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close, luminous portrait of the Devī: gem-studded earrings casting prismatic light onto her face; cheeks like petal-mirrors touched with fresh crimson kuṅkuma, emphasizing delicate sheen and symmetry.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī/Śivā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional meditation (dhyāna) begins by vividly contemplating the auspicious, beauty-bearing form of the Goddess, making the mind fit for worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a dhyāna-description supporting Śiva-Śakti worship rather than a site-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, it prescribes dhyāna—visualizing the Devī’s form as a preparatory limb of pūjā.