Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

असितां कुटिलां स्निग्धामायतां भुजगीमिव । वेणीं शिरसि बिभ्राणा गौरी गोरससंयुता

Transliteration

asitāṃ kuṭilāṃ snigdhāmāyatāṃ bhujagīmiva | veṇīṃ śirasi bibhrāṇā gaurī gorasasaṃyutā

Translation

Gaurī, die Milch bei sich, trug auf dem Haupt einen Zopf: dunkel, gewunden, glänzend und lang, wie eine Schlange.

Word by Word

• asitām: black
• asitām: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

• kuṭilām: curved
• kuṭilām: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kuṭila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

• snigdhām: smooth, glossy
• snigdhām: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snigdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

• āyatām: long, extended
• āyatām: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āyata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

• bhujagīm: a female serpent
• bhujagīm: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhujagī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• iva: like, as
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (Comparative marker/उपमाद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानसूचक (particle of comparison)

• veṇīm: braid, plait
• veṇīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• śirasi: on (her) head
• śirasi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• bibhrāṇā: wearing, bearing
• bibhrāṇā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhṛ (धातु) + शानच् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; (while) bearing/wearing

• gaurī: Gaurī
• gaurī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaurī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• go-rasa-saṃyutā: accompanied by milk
• go-rasa-saṃyutā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक) + rasa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyuta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √yuj with sam-)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (endowed/associated with milk)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual purāṇic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close portrayal of Gaurī carrying a milk vessel; her long, glossy, dark braid coils like a serpent upon her head, suggesting both beauty and latent power; her eyes are calm and protective.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse heightens darśana-bhāva: the Goddess’s auspicious presence sanctifies the pilgrim’s path and supports dharma through care.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra’s sacred narrative space, where the Goddess appears to aid pilgrims.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a descriptive darśana passage.