Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

पीतवासा महादेवि चतुर्वदनपङ्कजः । हंसोपरि समारूढो ह्यक्षमालाकरोद्यतः

Transliteration

pītavāsā mahādevi caturvadanapaṅkajaḥ | haṃsopari samārūḍho hyakṣamālākarodyataḥ

Translation

മഹാദേവീ! പീതവസ്ത്രധാരിയായ ബ്രഹ്മാവ്—ചതുര്മുഖനും പദ്മമുഖനും—ഹംസത്തിന്മേൽ ആരൂഢനായി പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ടു; അവന്റെ കൈയിൽ അക്ഷമാല ഉയർത്തിപ്പിടിച്ചിരുന്നതായി കണ്ടു।

Word by Word

• पीत-वासा: wearing yellow garments
• पीत-वासा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत (प्रातिपदिक) + वासस्/वासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चतुर्-वदन-पङ्कजः: the four-faced lotus(-like one) (Brahmā)
• चतुर्-वदन-पङ्कजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक) + पङ्कज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (ब्रह्मणः विशेषण/नाम)

• हंस-उपरि: upon a swan
• हंस-उपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक) + उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: उपरि (सप्तम्यर्थक-अव्यय: on/above); हंस-शब्देन सह पदसमूहः

• समारूढः: mounted
• समारूढः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-रुह् (धातु) → समारूढ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed)

• अक्षमाला-कर-उद्यतः: with hand raised holding a rosary
• अक्षमाला-कर-उद्यतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षमाला (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्यत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; उद्-यम् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to चतुर्वदनपङ्कजः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within the Anasūyā episode at Revā/Narmadā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā appears: four-faced lotus-like visage, yellow garments, seated upon a swan, hand raised holding a rosary—calm, authoritative, luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Haṃsa (swan)
• Akṣamālā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order and sacred knowledge are upheld through dharma and japa—symbolized by Brahmā’s rosary.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā/Revā riverbank where the divine vision is granted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Only an implicit indication of japa (rosary); no explicit vrata or dāna is stated.