Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

नर्मकर्मसु तस्यासीद्वल्लभाख्यः सखा द्विजः । तस्य विष्णुमती नाम विष्णोः श्रीरिव वल्लभा

Transliteration

narmakarmasu tasyāsīdvallabhākhyaḥ sakhā dvijaḥ | tasya viṣṇumatī nāma viṣṇoḥ śrīriva vallabhā

Translation

Dans les jeux et les affaires familières, il avait pour ami un brāhmane nommé Vallabha. La bien-aimée de Vallabha s’appelait Viṣṇumatī, chère pour lui comme Śrī l’est pour Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• narma-karmasu: in playful acts, in amusements
• narma-karmasu: Adhikaraṇa (Sphere/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narma (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tasya: of him, his
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriya (Existence/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धाातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• vallabha-ākhyaḥ: named Vallabha
• vallabha-ākhyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vallabha (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• sakhā: friend
• sakhā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• dvijaḥ: a Brahmin (twice-born)
• dvijaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tasya: of him, his
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• viṣṇumatī: Viṣṇumatī (name)
• viṣṇumatī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇumatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Name-marker (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) नामार्थे ‘called/named’

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• śrīḥ: Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• śrīḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• iva: like
• iva: Comparator (Upamā/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• vallabhā: beloved (consort)
• vallabhā: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vallabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gentle domestic/courtly vignette: the Brahmin friend Vallabha with his beloved Viṣṇumatī, portrayed with Lakṣmī–Nārāyaṇa-like auspicious iconography (lotus motifs, gentle halos) without making them deities.

Characters & Entities

• Vallabha
• Viṣṇumatī
• Viṣṇu
• Śrī (Lakṣmī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Affection and loyalty are framed through sacred ideals; even worldly relationships are described using divine archetypes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.