Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वलित्रयेण विलसद्धेमकांचीगुणान्विताम् । रक्तमाल्यांबरधरां दिव्यचंदनच र्चिताम्

Transliteration

valitrayeṇa vilasaddhemakāṃcīguṇānvitām | raktamālyāṃbaradharāṃ divyacaṃdanaca rcitām

Translation

Geschmückt mit den drei anmutigen Falten und einer glänzenden goldenen Hüftschnur, trug sie rote Girlanden und rote Gewänder und war mit göttlicher Sandelpaste gesalbt.

Word by Word

• वलि-त्रयेण: with the three folds (of the waist)
• वलि-त्रयेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वलि (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; ‘त्रयेण’ इति करणम् (instr. sg.)

• विलसत्-हेम-काञ्ची-गुण-अन्विताम्: endowed with a shining golden girdle-string
• विलसत्-हेम-काञ्ची-गुण-अन्विताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विलसत् (कृदन्त; √लस् शतृ) + हेम (प्रातिपदिक) + काञ्ची (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ (धातु) क्त; ‘युक्त’ अर्थे)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (fem. acc. sg.)

• रक्त-माल्य-अम्बर-धराम्: wearing red garlands and garments
• रक्त-माल्य-अम्बर-धराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + माल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त; √धृ (धातु) अच्/ण्वुल्-प्राय; ‘धारक’ अर्थे)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (fem. acc. sg.)

• दिव्य-चन्दन-चर्चिताम्: anointed with divine sandalwood
• दिव्य-चन्दन-चर्चिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्चित (कृदन्त; √चर्च् (धातु) क्त; ‘लेपित/अर्चित’ अर्थे)
• 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: Devī adorned with a golden waist-girdle string and three graceful abdominal folds; draped in red garments and red garlands; body anointed with luminous sandalpaste, giving a cool sheen against warm reds and gold.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Śivā/Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External beauty (alankāra) is used as a sacred aid to inner concentration, turning sense-perception into devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse supports ritual visualization and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies offerings like sandalpaste, garlands, and garments as standard pūjā-upacāras.