Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । संजातो हि सुरूपाढ्यः शतपत्रनिभाननः । दीर्घबाहुः पृथुग्रीवः सर्वलक्षणलक्षितः । नाम्ना चित्रसमः प्रोक्तस्तेजोवीर्यसमन्वितः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | saṃjāto hi surūpāḍhyaḥ śatapatranibhānanaḥ | dīrghabāhuḥ pṛthugrīvaḥ sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitaḥ | nāmnā citrasamaḥ proktastejovīryasamanvitaḥ

Translation

Sūta sprach: „Wahrlich, er wurde von überragender Schönheit geboren, mit einem Antlitz wie ein hundertblättriger Lotos; langarmig, breithalsig, von allen glückverheißenden Merkmalen gezeichnet. Man nannte ihn Citrasama, erfüllt von Glanz und Tapferkeit.“

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta (the narrator)
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• saṃjātaḥ: born, arisen
• saṃjātaḥ: Vidhāyaka (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-jan (धातु) + jāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• surūpāḍhyaḥ: endowed with good form/beauty
• surūpāḍhyaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• śatapatra-nibha-ānanaḥ: having a face like a hundred-petalled (lotus)
• śatapatra-nibha-ānanaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + patra (प्रातिपदिक) + nibha (प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dīrgha-bāhuḥ: long-armed
• dīrgha-bāhuḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīrgha (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• pṛthu-grīvaḥ: broad-necked
• pṛthu-grīvaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pṛthu (प्रातिपदिक) + grīva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarva-lakṣaṇa-lakṣitaḥ: marked with all auspicious signs
• sarva-lakṣaṇa-lakṣitaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣita (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nāmnā: by name
• nāmnā: Karana (Instrument/means—‘by name’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• citra-samaḥ: equal to Citra (in name/likeness)
• citra-samaḥ: Vidhāyaka (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• proktaḥ: was called/said
• proktaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vac (धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• tejas-vīrya-samanvitaḥ: endowed with splendor and valor
• tejas-vīrya-samanvitaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक) + vīrya (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates the birth and appearance of Citrasama: a radiant youth with lotus-like face, long arms, broad neck, auspicious marks, surrounded by a subtle aura of tejas.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Citrasama (name given)
• Mahiṣa/Mahiṣāsura (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer excellence—beauty, strength, and brilliance—does not guarantee dharma; without righteousness, even great tejas can turn toward oppression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named; it is character-background preparing the Devī’s victory narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive narration.