Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

मौक्तिकादामशोभाढ्यं वज्रवैडूर्यभूषितम् । रुक्मपट्टतलाकीर्णं रत्नभूम्या सुशोभितम्

Transliteration

mauktikādāmaśobhāḍhyaṃ vajravaiḍūryabhūṣitam | rukmapaṭṭatalākīrṇaṃ ratnabhūmyā suśobhitam

Translation

Il rayonnait de la beauté des guirlandes de perles, orné de diamants et de gemmes vaidūrya. Ses sols étaient incrustés de panneaux d’or, et le dallage étincelait de pierreries.

Word by Word

• मौक्तिकादामशोभाढ्यम्: rich with the splendor of pearl garlands
• मौक्तिकादामशोभाढ्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मौक्तिक (प्रातिपदिक) + दाम (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभा (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास (मौक्तिक-दाम-शोभया आढ्यम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; rich in the beauty of pearl-garlands

• वज्रवैडूर्यभूषितम्: adorned with diamonds and cat’s-eye gems
• वज्रवैडूर्यभूषितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वैडूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भूष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (वज्र-वैडूर्य) + तत्पुरुष (वज्रवैडूर्यैः भूषितम्), क्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रुक्मपट्टतलाकीर्णम्: spread/strewn with golden slabs on the floor
• रुक्मपट्टतलाकीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुक्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पट्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक) + आ√कॄ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (रुक्मपट्टतले आकीर्णम्), क्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; strewn over the surface with golden slabs/plates

• रत्नभूम्या: by/with a jeweled floor/ground
• रत्नभूम्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्नभूमि (प्रातिपदिक: रत्न + भूमि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with a jeweled ground)

• सुशोभितम्: beautifully adorned
• सुशोभितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ् (धातु) + सु- (उपसर्ग) ; क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; well-ornamented

Speaker

Unnamed narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (generic)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close interior view: pearl garlands draped from arches; diamond and vaidūrya inlays; golden panel flooring; jewel-paved ground shimmering with prismatic light.

Characters & Entities

• Bāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas depict dazzling wealth to remind readers that even the most jewel-like prosperity is impermanent without dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; the verse continues the palace’s ornamentation description, not a tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.