Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कुरुते वीक्षणं विष्णुः सन्तुष्टः सह शंभुना

Transliteration

kurute vīkṣaṇaṃ viṣṇuḥ santuṣṭaḥ saha śaṃbhunā

Translation

Viṣṇu, zufrieden, wirft zusammen mit Śambhu (Śiva) seinen gnädigen Blick auf jenes Ritual und auf den Hingegangenen.

Word by Word

• कुरुते: does, performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वीक्षणम्: a glance, looking
• वीक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सन्तुष्टः: satisfied, pleased
• सन्तुष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + तुष् (धातु) → सन्तुष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विष्णुः)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; सहार्थक-उपपद (preposition-like indeclinable)

• शंभुना: with Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुना: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सह-योगे

Speaker

Prahlāda (within the Dvārakā Māhātmya narration; Sūta resumes at 43.22)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual: sages/assembly hearing the māhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, serene and radiant, stands beside Śambhu; both cast a compassionate, downward glance upon a devotee’s rite, suggesting invisible cleansing and blessing.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma culminates in divine grace: the rite is sanctified by the approving glance of both Viṣṇu and Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s Māhātmya context emphasizes a sacred space where devotion draws divine favor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new action is added here; it affirms divine approval of the previously described Tulasī-wood cremation practice.