Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 220

Devanagari script

दिव्यैर्दुकूलनेपथ्यैरलंचक्रे मुदान्वितैः । त्रिनेत्रीकृतसद्भाल श्यामीकृतशिरोधरम्

Transliteration

divyairdukūlanepathyairalaṃcakre mudānvitaiḥ | trinetrīkṛtasadbhāla śyāmīkṛtaśirodharam

Translation

With heavenly garments and adornments, in gladness he arrayed him—marking the fair forehead with the sign of the Three-Eyed One and darkening the hair upon his head.

Word by Word

• divyaiḥ: with divine
• divyaiḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying dukūla-nepathyaiḥ)

• dukūla-nepathyaiḥ: with fine garments and costumes/attire
• dukūla-nepathyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dukūla (प्रातिपदिक) + nepathya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (dukūlāni ca nepathyāni ca)

• alam: adequately; splendidly; (as) an ornament
• alam: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अलंकारार्थक (sufficiency/ornamenting particle)

• cakre: made, arranged, adorned
• cakre: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• mudā-anvitaiḥ: accompanied by joy
• mudā-anvitaiḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mudā (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास (mudayā anvita = ‘accompanied with joy’); विशेषण (qualifying the instrumental set)

• trinetrī-kṛta-sadbhāla: (having) an auspicious forehead made three-eyed
• trinetrī-kṛta-sadbhāla: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + netrī (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + sat (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (trinetrī-kṛta = ‘made three-eyed’; sad-bhāla = ‘good/auspicious forehead’), समस्तपदं शirodharam इति विशेषयति

• śyāmī-kṛta-śirodharam: the head/neck made dark (blue)
• śyāmī-kṛta-śirodharam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śyāmī (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (śyāmī-kṛta = ‘made dark/blue’; śiro-dhara = ‘head-bearer’ = head/neck region), कर्म (object of cakre)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A joyful figure is ceremonially dressed in divine garments; the forehead bears a Śaiva ‘three-eyed’ emblem/tilaka, and the hair is darkened—suggesting festive consecration or devotional transformation.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied by 'three-eyed' mark)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional adornment using Śaiva symbols expresses inner dedication and alignment with Śiva’s sanctifying presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa narrative stream, reinforcing Kāśī’s Śaiva devotional culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Applying Śaiva insignia (third-eye style mark) and ritual adornment with fine garments are described.