Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

निरीक्ष्यमाणा च तदा मुकुन्दं तमालनीलं सुकपोलनासम् । विभ्राजमानं वपुषा परेण श्रीवत्सलक्ष्मं सदयावलोकम्

Transliteration

nirīkṣyamāṇā ca tadā mukundaṃ tamālanīlaṃ sukapolanāsam | vibhrājamānaṃ vapuṣā pareṇa śrīvatsalakṣmaṃ sadayāvalokam

Translation

Alors, posant son regard sur Mukunda—sombre comme l’arbre tamāla, aux joues et au nez gracieux—elle le vit rayonner d’une splendeur transcendante, portant la marque de Śrīvatsa et regardant avec compassion.

Word by Word

• nirīkṣyamāṇā: (she) looking/observing
• nirīkṣyamāṇā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-īkṣ (धातु) + śyānac-pratyaya (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/कर्तरि प्रयोगे शानच्-प्रत्ययान्तः वर्तमानकृदन्तः (present participle) — ‘being/while looking’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• mukundam: Mukunda (Viṣṇu)
• mukundam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukunda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• tamālanīlam: dark-blue like the tamāla tree
• tamālanīlam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tamāla (प्रातिपदिक) + nīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तमालस्य नीलः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive tatpuruṣa)

• sukapolanāsam: with beautiful cheeks and nose
• sukapolanāsam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/उपपद) + kapola (प्रातिपदिक) + nāsā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘सु-कपोलौ च नासा च’ इति समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (collective dvandva), सु- उपपदेन विशेषितम्

• vibhrājamānam: shining
• vibhrājamānam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-bhrāj (धातु) + śānac-pratyaya (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्तः (present participle) — ‘shining’

• vapuṣā: by (his) body/form
• vapuṣā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vapus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• pareṇa: supreme, excellent
• pareṇa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘श्रेष्ठ/उत्तम’ अर्थे

• śrīvatsalakṣmam: bearing the Śrīvatsa mark
• śrīvatsalakṣmam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrīvatsa (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘श्रीवत्सः यस्य लक्षणम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• sadayāvalokam: with a compassionate gaze
• sadayāvalokam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-dayā (प्रातिपदिक) + avaloka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘दयायुक्तः अवलोकः’ इति कर्मधारयः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Śaunaka-ādi (typical Purāṇic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lakṣmī (or the observing devotee) beholds Mukunda: tamāla-dark complexion, radiant transcendental body, Śrīvatsa on the chest, eyes softened with compassion; a Himalayan sacred ambience implied by Kedāra context.

Characters & Entities

• Mukunda (Viṣṇu)
• Lakṣmī
• Śrīvatsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana (sacred seeing) of the Lord is transformative; the Supreme is both majestic and compassionate.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s sacred narrative space is implied; the Purāṇic scene supports the Kedārakhaṇḍa’s praise of the region’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the focus is devotional contemplation of the Lord’s form.