Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

पीतांबरो घनश्यामो नागारिकृतवाहनः । चतुर्भुजो महा तेजाः शंखचक्रगदाधरः

Transliteration

pītāṃbaro ghanaśyāmo nāgārikṛtavāhanaḥ | caturbhujo mahā tejāḥ śaṃkhacakragadādharaḥ

Translation

Er trug gelbe Gewänder, dunkel wie eine Regenwolke, und hatte eine Schlange als Reittier. Vierarmig, von großer Strahlkraft, trug er Muschel, Diskus und Keule.

Word by Word

• पीताम्बरः: wearing yellow garments
• पीताम्बरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीताम्बर (प्रातिपदिक; पीत + अम्बर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन; विशेषण

• घनश्यामः: dark like a cloud
• घनश्यामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घनश्याम (प्रातिपदिक; घन + श्याम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण

• नागारिकृतवाहनः: whose mount was made by the enemy of Nāgas
• नागारिकृतवाहनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नागारि-कृत-वाहन (प्रातिपदिक; नागारि + कृत + वाहन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण; (नागारिणा कृतं वाहनं यस्य)

• चतुर्भुजः: four-armed
• चतुर्भुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्भुज (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + भुज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण

• महा: great
• महा: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/अव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद; अत्र समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण (as prior member)

• तेजाः: splendour, radiance
• तेजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन; (तेजाः इति वैदिक/काव्य-रूप)

• शंखचक्रगदाधरः: bearing conch, discus, and mace
• शंखचक्रगदाधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंख-चक्र-गदा-धर (प्रातिपदिक; शंख + चक्र + गदा + धर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण; (शंखं चक्रं गदां च धरति)

Speaker

Narrator

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied royal listener in frame narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Janārdana stands or hovers, clad in yellow silk, cloud-dark complexion, four arms holding conch, discus, mace (and implied lotus), with a serpent-associated conveyance motif; blazing aura surrounds him.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Śaṅkha (conch)
• Cakra (discus)
• Gadā (mace)
• Nāga (serpent)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contemplation of the Lord’s auspicious form (rūpa-dhyāna) steadies devotion and anchors the mind in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The imagery belongs to Vaikuṇṭha’s divine setting rather than a named earthly tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, rūpa-dhyāna (meditative visualization) of Viṣṇu’s form and attributes.