Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

स तैराच्छादितो विष्णुः शुशुभे च समंततः । सम्यक्पुलकितांगश्च रक्ताचल इवापरः

Transliteration

sa tairācchādito viṣṇuḥ śuśubhe ca samaṃtataḥ | samyakpulakitāṃgaśca raktācala ivāparaḥ

Translation

Enveloppé par eux de toutes parts, Viṣṇu resplendit alentour; ses membres frémissant d’ardeur héroïque, il semblait une autre montagne rouge.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तैः: by them; with those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• आच्छादितः: covered; enveloped
• आच्छादितः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-छद् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त (past passive participle) = ‘covered’

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• शुशुभे: shone; appeared splendid
• शुशुभे: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/संयोजक) = and

• समंततः: on all sides
• समंततः: Adhikarana (Spatial adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = सर्वतः (on all sides)

• सम्यक्: fully; properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = यथावत्/सम्यग् (properly, fully)

• पुलकिताङ्गः: whose body was bristling (with horripilation)
• पुलकिताङ्गः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुलकित-अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; पुलकित + अङ्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः; ‘विष्णुः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• रक्ताचलः: a red mountain
• रक्ताचलः: Upamana (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त-अचल (प्रातिपदिक; रक्त + अचल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपमान (simile standard)

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमावाचक) = like/as

• अपरः: another; as if another
• अपरः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘विष्णुः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu encircled by enemies or missiles yet shining; gooseflesh/heroic thrill indicated by subtle texture; his form glowing red-gold like a crimson mountain at sunset.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s radiance is undiminished even when surrounded by adversity; divine majesty transforms danger into splendor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a battle-description embedded in a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter; the specific tīrtha is not named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.