Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

शंखचक्रांकसुभग भुजद्वयविराजितम् । हरिनामाक्षरसुधा सुधौत रदनावलिम्

Transliteration

śaṃkhacakrāṃkasubhaga bhujadvayavirājitam | harināmākṣarasudhā sudhauta radanāvalim

Translation

“His two arms shone, beautified by the auspicious marks of conch and discus; and his row of teeth looked as though washed clean by the nectar of the syllables of Hari’s Name.”

Word by Word

• शङ्ख-चक्र-अङ्क-सुभग: beautiful with the marks of conch and discus
• शङ्ख-चक्र-अङ्क-सुभग: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्क (प्रातिपदिक) + सुभग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सम्बद्धं ‘तम्’ इत्यर्थे); समासः (शङ्खचक्रयोः अङ्कः/चिह्नम्; तेन सुभगः)

• भुज-द्वय-विराजितम्: adorned by (his) two arms
• भुज-द्वय-विराजितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुज (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक) + वि-राज् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (विराजित = adorned); समासः (भुजयोः द्वयेन विराजितम्)

• हरि-नाम-अक्षर-सुधा: the nectar of the syllables of Hari’s name
• हरि-नाम-अक्षर-सुधा: Karta (Metaphoric subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + नाम (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक) + सुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (हरिनाम्नः अक्षराणि एव सुधा)

• सुधौत: well-purified
• सुधौत: Karma (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-धाव्/धौ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सम्बद्धं ‘रदनावलिम्’); ‘well-washed/purified’

• रदन-आवलिम्: row of teeth
• रदन-आवलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रदन (प्रातिपदिक) + आवलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रदनानाम् आवलिः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; verse heavily Vaiṣṇava in imagery)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close focus on the king’s arms bearing conch and discus marks; his smile reveals teeth imagined as cleansed by the nectar of Hari’s Name—devotion made visible on body and face.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Hari-nāma (the Name of Hari)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Name of God is extolled as purifying nectar, and devotional insignia signify a life oriented toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, nāma-japa (repetition of Hari’s name) is praised, though not commanded as a formal injunction.