Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 854

Devanagari script

रूपवान्प्रतिमायुक्तो मत्स्यगंधेन संयुतः । सोमकांतिसमस्तत्र ह्यभवद्दिव्यगंधभाक्

Transliteration

rūpavānpratimāyukto matsyagaṃdhena saṃyutaḥ | somakāṃtisamastatra hyabhavaddivyagaṃdhabhāk

Translation

Er wurde schön und wohlgestaltet, doch blieb er vom Geruch des Fisches gezeichnet. Dort, strahlend in mondgleichem Glanz, gelangte er dennoch zu einem wunderbaren, unverwechselbaren Duft.

Word by Word

• रूपवान्: handsome
• रूपवान्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूपवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘योगी/सः’ इत्यादि कर्तृविशेषणम्

• प्रतिमायुक्तः: endowed with a fine form/figure
• प्रतिमायुक्तः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिमा + युक्त (कृदन्त; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (युक्त), ‘युज्’ धातोः; ‘प्रतिमया युक्तः’

• मत्स्यगन्धेन: with a fishy smell
• मत्स्यगन्धेन: करण (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मत्स्यस्य गन्धः’

• संयुतः: joined/associated
• संयुतः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle)

• सोमकान्तिसमः: equal to the moon’s radiance
• सोमकान्तिसमः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोम + कान्ति + सम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सोमकान्त्या समः’ (moon-lustre-like)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adverbial location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दिव्यगन्धभाक्: possessing a divine fragrance
• दिव्यगन्धभाक्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य + गन्ध + भाज् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘दिव्यः गन्धः यस्य/यः भजते’ इति अर्थे ‘भाक्’ (भाज्-प्रातिपदिक)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced from Brahma–Nārada context in this chapter stream)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A figure newly transformed—handsome, moon-bright—yet with a narrative hint of fish-odor now replaced by a wondrous fragrance; attendants react with surprise; the setting suggests a sacred waterbody or shrine precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Matsyagaṃdha (fish scent)
• Soma-kānti (moonlike radiance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives often mark destiny through paradoxical signs—outer traits and inner radiance indicating a divinely guided life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, though this verse focuses on character description rather than a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive within the origin narrative.