Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

रक्तमाल्याम्बरधरा कुण्डलाभरणोज्ज्वला । दिव्यानुलेपनवती सखीभिः सा सुरक्षिता

Transliteration

raktamālyāmbaradharā kuṇḍalābharaṇojjvalā | divyānulepanavatī sakhībhiḥ sā surakṣitā

Translation

അവൾ ചുവന്ന മാലകളും വസ്ത്രങ്ങളും ധരിച്ചു, കുണ്ഡലങ്ങളും ആഭരണങ്ങളും കൊണ്ട് ദീപ്തയായി. ദിവ്യ അനുലേപനങ്ങളാൽ സുഗന്ധിതയായി, സഖിമാർ സൂക്ഷ്മമായി കാത്തുരക്ഷിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• रक्तमाल्याम्बरधरा: wearing red garlands and garments
• रक्तमाल्याम्बरधरा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘रक्ते माले अम्बरे च धरति’ (wearing red garlands and garments)

• कुण्डलाभरणोज्ज्वला: shining with earrings and ornaments
• कुण्डलाभरणोज्ज्वला: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुण्डल (प्रातिपदिक) + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक) + उज्ज्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दिव्यानुलेपनवती: having divine unguents (perfumed paste)
• दिव्यानुलेपनवती: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुलेपनवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सखीभिः: by (her) friends
• सखीभिः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (plural)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुरक्षिता: was well-guarded / protected
• सुरक्षिता: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सु + रक्ष् (धातु) → सुरक्षित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Revā Khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maiden richly adorned in red, earrings gleaming, divine sandal/perfume applied; a circle of companions forms a protective retinue as she moves through a palace-garden corridor.

Characters & Entities

• Sakhīs (companions)
• Kāmapramodinī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prosperity and refinement are depicted as outcomes of dharma; yet they are framed within social responsibility and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes attire and attendants.