Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

भक्त्या संछाद्य वैदर्भीं रुक्मिणीं कृष्णवल्लभाम् । भूषणैर्भूषयेद्देवीं मणिरत्न समन्वितैः

Transliteration

bhaktyā saṃchādya vaidarbhīṃ rukmiṇīṃ kṛṣṇavallabhām | bhūṣaṇairbhūṣayeddevīṃ maṇiratna samanvitaiḥ

Translation

Having reverently clothed Rukmiṇī—the princess of Vidarbha, beloved of Kṛṣṇa—one should adorn the Goddess with ornaments set with gems and jewels.

Word by Word

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• संछाद्य: having covered
• संछाद्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-छद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययीभाव-रूप), अव्यय — Absolutive (gerund), Indeclinable; ‘having covered’

• वैदर्भीम्: the woman of Vidarbha (Rukmiṇī)
• वैदर्भीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदर्भी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• रुक्मिणीम्: Rukmiṇī
• रुक्मिणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; apposition to वैदर्भीम्

• कृष्णवल्लभाम्: beloved of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णवल्लभाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्लभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कृष्णस्य वल्लभा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Genitive Tatpurusha; Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भूषणैः: with ornaments
• भूषणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• भूषयेत्: should adorn
• भूषयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भूष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• मणिरत्न: gems and jewels
• मणिरत्न: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि (प्रातिपदिक) + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (मणयश्च रत्नानि च), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनार्थे समास-प्रातिपदिक; here qualifying ‘समन्वितैः’ — Dvandva compound ‘gems and jewels’

• समन्वितैः: endowed/combined (with)
• समन्वितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-अन्वि-इ (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), तृतीया, बहुवचन, नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग-सामान्यरूप — PPP; Instrumental plural agreeing with भूषणैः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rukmiṇī is ceremonially clothed in fine fabric; gem-studded ornaments are placed—necklaces, bangles, earrings—while devotees watch in hushed reverence; Kṛṣṇa’s presence is implied as her vallabha.

Characters & Entities

• Rukmiṇī
• Kṛṣṇa
• Vidarbha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expresses itself through seva—clothing and adorning the deity as an act of loving reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where Rukmiṇī is worshiped as Jagad-mātā and Kṛṣṇa’s consort.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Clothing the deity and adorning her with jewel-studded ornaments (alaṅkāra upacāra).