Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

गंगाधरं शुक्लतनुं सर्प्पैराकीर्णविग्रहम् । शिववत्सुखदं पुंसामपश्यत्स हिमाचलम्

Transliteration

gaṃgādharaṃ śuklatanuṃ sarppairākīrṇavigraham | śivavatsukhadaṃ puṃsāmapaśyatsa himācalam

Translation

Il contempla l’Himālaya : porteur de la Gaṅgā, au corps blanc, la forme parée de serpents, dispensant la félicité aux hommes, tel Śiva lui-même.

Word by Word

• गंगाधरम्: the bearer of the Ganga (Śiva)
• गंगाधरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गां धरति इति)

• शुक्लतनुम्: having a white body
• शुक्लतनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शुक्ला तनुः यस्य) विशेषणम्

• सर्पैः: by/with serpents
• सर्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• आकीर्णविग्रहम्: whose form is covered/filled with (serpents)
• आकीर्णविग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ√कीर् (धातु) + विग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘आकीर्ण’ + तत्पुरुष-समासः; ‘सर्पैः’ इति करणेन आकीर्णः विग्रहः यस्य

• शिववत्सुखदम्: giving happiness like Śiva
• शिववत्सुखदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित) + सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त ‘शिववत्’ (शिव-सदृश) + तत्पुरुषः; ‘सुखद’ = सुखं ददाति इति

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हिमाचलम्: the हिमालय (snow-mountain)
• हिमाचलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिम (प्रातिपदिक) + अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (हिमः अचलः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya; specific speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himācala (Himālaya)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast white Himalayan massif appears like Śiva: Gaṅgā flowing from its heights, serpentine forms adorning ridges, a serene yet powerful presence blessing beings below.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Śiva
• Himālaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred landscapes mirror divine qualities—Himālaya is envisioned as Śiva-like, reminding devotees that tīrthas and mountains can embody and transmit auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

While the section is Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya, this verse momentarily glorifies Himālaya as a Śaiva sacred realm associated with Gaṅgā and serpentine iconography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse is a darśana (vision) style praise of a sacred geography and its Śaiva symbolism.