Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

शंखचक्रधरो विष्णुश्चतुर्हस्तः किरीटधृक् । मेघश्यामोंऽबुजाक्षश्च सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभः

Transliteration

śaṃkhacakradharo viṣṇuścaturhastaḥ kirīṭadhṛk | meghaśyāmoṃ'bujākṣaśca sūryakoṭisamaprabhaḥ

Translation

Viṣṇu erschien, Muschel und Diskus tragend, vierarmig und bekrönt—dunkel wie eine Regenwolke, lotosäugig und strahlend wie zehn Millionen Sonnen.

Word by Word

• शङ्खचक्रधरः: bearing conch and discus
• शङ्खचक्रधरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शङ्ख + चक्र + धर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विष्णुः इति विशेषण

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• चतुःहस्तः: four-handed
• चतुःहस्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विष्णुः इति विशेषण

• किरीटधृक्: wearing a crown
• किरीटधृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किरीट + धृ (धातु; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक धृक्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); (धृ + क्विप् → धृक्) विष्णुः इति विशेषण

• मेघश्यामः: dark like a cloud
• मेघश्यामः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ + श्याम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विष्णुः इति विशेषण

• अम्बुजाक्षः: lotus-eyed
• अम्बुजाक्षः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अम्बुज + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विष्णुः इति विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभः: having splendor equal to ten million suns
• सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य + कोटि + सम + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विष्णुः इति विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; descriptive passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu manifests in full iconographic splendor: four-armed, holding conch and discus, crowned, cloud-dark, lotus-eyed, with overwhelming solar radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śaṅkha
• Cakra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine darśana is portrayed as overwhelming brilliance and auspiciousness, inspiring devotion and faith in the Lord’s protective presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the snippet itself emphasizes Viṣṇu’s manifestation rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is stated in this verse; it is a visual-theological description.