Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

अनन्यदुर्लभाचिंत्यगीयमाननिजाद्भुतः । सुभक्तसुलभो देवो लक्ष्मीकांतो हरिः स्वयम्

Transliteration

ananyadurlabhāciṃtyagīyamānanijādbhutaḥ | subhaktasulabho devo lakṣmīkāṃto hariḥ svayam

Translation

Dialah Hari sendiri, Kekasih Lakṣmī; hakikat-Nya yang menakjubkan tak terpikirkan, senantiasa dipuji dalam nyanyian, dan sukar dicapai dengan cara lain—namun mudah didekati oleh para bhakta yang tulus.

Word by Word

• अनन्यदुर्लभाचिन्त्यगीयमाननिजाद्भुतः: wonderful in his own nature—unparalleled, hard to attain, inconceivable, and being praised
• अनन्यदुर्लभाचिन्त्यगीयमाननिजाद्भुतः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्य + दुर्लभ + अचिन्त्य + गीयमान + निज + अद्भुत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः; गीयमान = कर्मणि वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present passive participle) ‘being sung/praised’

• सुभक्तसुलभः: easily attainable by good devotees
• सुभक्तसुलभः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + भक्त + सुलभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सुभक्तैः सुलभः)

• देवः: the Lord
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• लक्ष्मीकान्तः: Lakṣmī’s beloved (consort)
• लक्ष्मीकान्तः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी + कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लक्ष्म्याः कान्तः)

• हरिः: Hari
• हरिः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta-nirdhāraka (Emphasis on subject/कर्ता-निर्धारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic indeclinable)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu / Setubandha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hari, Lakṣmīkānta, stands radiant and wondrous; celestial singers praise Him; despite His inconceivable majesty, He leans toward devotees with a welcoming presence, suggesting ‘sulabha’ grace.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Viṣṇu
• Lakṣmī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion (bhakti) is the direct path: the inconceivable Lord becomes reachable through sincere, single-hearted love.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu tīrtha indirectly—by declaring that the Lord becomes ‘easy to attain’ in the devotional atmosphere celebrated by Setukhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the implied practice is praise (kīrtana/stotra) and devoted approach.