Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ततः समानीय सुलोचनां तां श्यामां नितंबार्षितमेखलां शुभाम् । वैडूर्यमुक्तावलयान्दधानां भास्वत्प्रभां चांद्रमसीं व रेखम्

Transliteration

tataḥ samānīya sulocanāṃ tāṃ śyāmāṃ nitaṃbārṣitamekhalāṃ śubhām | vaiḍūryamuktāvalayāndadhānāṃ bhāsvatprabhāṃ cāṃdramasīṃ va rekham

Translation

Alors, faisant avancer cette jeune fille de bon augure aux yeux de biche—au teint sombre, les hanches ceintes d’une ceinture gracieuse—il la présenta, parée de bracelets de vaidūrya (œil-de-chat) et de perles, rayonnante telle un trait de clarté lunaire.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Avyaya (Adverb/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘then/from there’)

• samānīya: having brought
• samānīya: Kriya (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam + ā + nī (धातु) + ktvā/lyap (कृत्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having brought/assembled

• su: well, good
• su: Avyaya (Prefix/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: su (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद (prefix ‘well’)

• locanām: beautiful-eyed
• locanām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: locanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — feminine accusative singular; विशेषण (to ताम्)

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम — feminine accusative singular

• śyāmām: dark-complexioned
• śyāmām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śyāmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — feminine accusative singular; विशेषण

• nitamba: of the hips
• nitamba: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nitamba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद — masculine genitive singular (as prior member)

• arṣita: prominent
• arṣita: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arṣita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (समासे अव्यक्त), षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे पूर्वपद; ‘उन्नत/उत्कट’ अर्थे — as compound member ‘prominent/raised’

• mekhalām: girdled (with a belt)
• mekhalām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mekhalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — feminine accusative singular; विशेषण (to ताम्)

• śubhām: auspicious, beautiful
• śubhām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — feminine accusative singular; विशेषण

• vaiḍūrya: of cat’s-eye gem
• vaiḍūrya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiḍūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद — neuter genitive singular (as prior member)

• muktā: of pearls
• muktā: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muktā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन/समासपूर्वपद; ‘मुक्ता’ pearls — as compound member

• valayān: bracelets/bangles
• valayān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: valaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — neuter accusative plural

• dadhānām: wearing
• dadhānām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhā (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त — feminine accusative singular present participle ‘wearing’ (qualifying ताम्)

• bhāsvat: shining
• bhāsvat: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāsvat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (समासे), समासपूर्वपद — ‘shining’ as prior member

• prabhām: radiance, splendor
• prabhām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — feminine accusative singular; विशेषण (to ताम्)

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (Conjunction/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• āṃdramasīm: moonlike
• āṃdramasīm: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cāndramasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — feminine accusative singular; विशेषण

• iva: like, as if
• iva: Avyaya (Comparison/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमार्थक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• rekhām: line, streak
• rekhām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rekhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — feminine accusative singular

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Himālaya sacred precinct

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience; in-scene sages witnessing the presentation

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himādri brings forward the auspicious doe-eyed maiden: dark-hued, with a graceful girdle at her hips, wearing cat’s-eye gem and pearl bracelets, shining like a moonlit streak—an iconic reveal shot.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī (implied as the maiden)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine beauty is portrayed as auspiciousness (śubhatva) that inspires reverence and prepares the heart for sacred union and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa situates the episode in the Kedāra-Himalayan sacred domain of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction appears; the verse functions as maṅgala-style praise preceding the wedding context.