Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 146

Devanagari script

नेयं नारी मया दृष्टा दृष्टं रूपं किलात्मनः । शंखचक्रगदाहस्तं वनमालाविभूषितम्

Transliteration

neyaṃ nārī mayā dṛṣṭā dṛṣṭaṃ rūpaṃ kilātmanaḥ | śaṃkhacakragadāhastaṃ vanamālāvibhūṣitam

Translation

Ce n’était pas une femme que je vis ; en vérité, je contemplai ma propre forme—tenant en main la conque, le disque et la massue, parée de la guirlande des forêts.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• इयम्: this (woman)
• इयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानााधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दृष्टा: was seen
• दृष्टा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (was seen)

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘रूपम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• किल: indeed
• किल: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/श्रुत्यर्थक-अव्यय (indeed/it is said)

• आत्मनः: of the Self / of oneself
• आत्मनः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• शंखचक्रगदाहस्तम्: having conch, discus, and mace in hand
• शंखचक्रगदाहस्तम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (शंख-चक्र-गदा-हस्तः यस्य)

• वनमालाविभूषितम्: adorned with a forest-garland
• वनमालाविभूषितम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वनमाला (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषित (विभूष् धातु + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषभावः (वनमालया विभूषितम्)

Speaker

Kṛṣṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (within Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary moment at a coastal sacred precinct: the speaker realizes the ‘woman’ is not a woman but a radiant four-armed Nārāyaṇa-like self-form, holding conch, discus, and mace, wearing a forest garland.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Viṣṇu
• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Gadā
• Vanamālā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual discernment sees beyond appearances and recognizes the divine identity revealed through sacred marks and attributes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is housed in the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya of Prabhāsa, strengthening the tīrtha’s authority through divine revelation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse emphasizes darśana (vision) and recognition of Viṣṇu’s attributes.