Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

घंटाचामरशोभाढयैर्दर्पणैश्चोपशोभितम् । कलशैर्द्वारविन्यस्तरत्नपल्लवसंयुतैः

Transliteration

ghaṃṭācāmaraśobhāḍhayairdarpaṇaiścopaśobhitam | kalaśairdvāravinyastaratnapallavasaṃyutaiḥ

Translation

Il était encore embelli par des miroirs étincelants, par des cloches et des cāmaras (éventails rituels), et par des vases auspices (kalaśa) placés au seuil, ornés de rameaux et de jeunes pousses sertis de joyaux.

Word by Word

• ghaṃṭā-cāmara-śobhā-āḍhyaiḥ: with (things) rich in the beauty of bells and chowries
• ghaṃṭā-cāmara-śobhā-āḍhyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghaṃṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + cāmara (प्रातिपदिक) + śobhā (प्रातिपदिक) + āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (करण-बहुवचन), तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ghaṃṭā-cāmara-śobhāyāṃ āḍhyāḥ = rich in the beauty of bells and yak-tail fans)

• darpaṇaiḥ: with mirrors
• darpaṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• upaśobhitam: beautifully adorned
• upaśobhitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√śubh (शुभ्—दीप्तौ/शोभने)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (well-adorned/beautified)

• kalaśaiḥ: with pots
• kalaśaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• dvāra-vinyasta-ratna-pallava-saṃyutaiḥ: furnished with jewel-ornaments placed at the doors
• dvāra-vinyasta-ratna-pallava-saṃyutaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvāra (प्रातिपदिक) + vi-√nyas (न्यस्—न्यासे) + ratna (प्रातिपदिक) + pallava (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃ-√yuj (युज्—योगे)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त-प्रधान (vinyasta, saṃyuta), तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष-श्रृंखला (dvāreṣu vinyastāni ratnapallavāni yaiḥ = furnished with jewel-sprouts placed at the doors)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the temple doorway: jewel-adorned kalaśas placed symmetrically, tender leafy sprigs attached; shining mirrors catch lamp-light; bells hang above; attendants hold cāmaras, creating a royal-divine welcome.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred space is to be approached with maṅgala (auspiciousness): devotional adornment expresses reverence and invites divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), celebrated in the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa as a supremely auspicious Śaiva sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Temple-maṅgala: placing kalaśas at the entrance and adorning the shrine with auspicious items (bells, cāmara, mirrors, jeweled foliage).