Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

कपर्दिनीं चतुर्वक्त्रां त्रिनेत्रामतिलालसाम् । अष्टहस्तां विशालाक्षीं चंद्रावयवभूषणाम्

Transliteration

kapardinīṃ caturvaktrāṃ trinetrāmatilālasām | aṣṭahastāṃ viśālākṣīṃ caṃdrāvayavabhūṣaṇām

Translation

Il la vit aux cheveux nattés, à quatre visages, à trois yeux, d’un éclat très intense : huit bras, de larges yeux, parée d’ornements en forme de lune.

Word by Word

• kapardinīm: the one with matted hair
• kapardinīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kapardinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (epithet of devī)

• catur-vaktrām: four-faced
• catur-vaktrām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; द्विगु-समासः (caturṇi vaktrāṇi yasyāḥ)

• tri-netrām: three-eyed
• tri-netrām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri + netra (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; द्विगु-समासः (trīṇi netrāṇi yasyāḥ)

• ati-lālasām: very eager/ardent
• ati-lālasām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + lālasā (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; अव्ययीभावः (ati lālasā)

• aṣṭa-hastām: eight-armed
• aṣṭa-hastām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭa + hasta (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; द्विगु-समासः (aṣṭau hastāḥ yasyāḥ)

• viśāla-akṣīm: large-eyed
• viśāla-akṣīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśāla + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः (viśāle akṣiṇī yasyāḥ)

• candra-avayava-bhūṣaṇām: adorned with moon-like ornaments/parts
• candra-avayava-bhūṣaṇām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: candra + avayava + bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (candrasyāvayavāḥ bhūṣaṇaṃ yasyāḥ / candrāvayavaiḥ bhūṣitā)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dialogue-frame audience within Prabhāsakhaṇḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formidable yet auspicious Devī stands revealed: matted locks, four faces, three eyes, eight arms, vast eyes, moon-shaped ornaments—an icon of cosmic sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī
• Viśālākṣī (epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity is disclosed through sacred iconography: multiple faces, eyes, and arms signify omniscience, sovereignty, and protection for devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra, where the Goddess is vividly revealed as part of the kṣetra’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated; the verse is primarily a darśana-description (dhyāna/visualization) of the Goddess.