Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

उत्पलाक्षी सहस्राक्षे हिरण्याक्षे महोत्पला । गयायां विमला नाम मङ्गला पुरुषोत्तमे

Transliteration

utpalākṣī sahasrākṣe hiraṇyākṣe mahotpalā | gayāyāṃ vimalā nāma maṅgalā puruṣottame

Translation

സഹസ്രാക്ഷത്തിൽ അവൾ ‘ഉത്പലാക്ഷി’ (പദ്മനേത്രി), ഹിരണ്യാക്ഷത്തിൽ ‘മഹോത്പലാ’. ഗയയിൽ ‘വിമലാ’ എന്നും, പുരുഷോത്തമത്തിൽ ‘മംഗളാ’ എന്നും അറിയപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• उत्पलाक्षी: Utpalākṣī (lotus-eyed)
• उत्पलाक्षी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पलाक्षी (प्रातिपदिक; उत्पल + अक्षी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (बहुव्रीहिः: 'उत्पल-नेत्रा')

• सहस्राक्षे: at Sahasrākṣa (the thousand-eyed place/deity)
• सहस्राक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्राक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; सहस्र + अक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (स्थान); बहुव्रीहिः

• हिरण्याक्षे: at Hiraṇyākṣa
• हिरण्याक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्याक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; हिरण्य + अक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण; बहुव्रीहिः

• महोत्पला: Mahotpalā
• महोत्पला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महोत्पला (प्रातिपदिक; महा + उत्पला)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• विमला: Vimalā
• विमला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (quotative particle: 'by name')

• मङ्गला: Maṅgalā
• मङ्गला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मङ्गला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

• पुरुषोत्तमे: at Puruṣottama
• पुरुषोत्तमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; पुरुष + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā; Puruṣottama-kṣetra (with Sahasrākṣa and Hiraṇyākṣa as named local tīrthas)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fourfold vision: Utpalākṣī and Mahotpalā with lotus eyes and lotus garlands; Gayā scene with Devī Vimalā near a riverbank and śrāddha setting (piṇḍa offerings) but rendered respectfully; Puruṣottama scene with Devī Maṅgalā near the Jagannātha temple silhouette, holding auspicious symbols (lotus, kalasha).

Characters & Entities

• Sahasrākṣa
• Hiraṇyākṣa
• Gayā
• Puruṣottama
• Utpalākṣī
• Mahotpalā
• Vimalā
• Maṅgalā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity (Vimalā) and auspicious welfare (Maṅgalā) are fruits of approaching the Goddess through renowned pilgrimage centers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā (famed for śrāddha rites) and Puruṣottama-kṣetra (Puri/Jagannātha). Sahasrākṣa and Hiraṇyākṣa are additional Purāṇic place-names in the itinerary.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; Gayā and Puruṣottama strongly imply tīrtha-sevā such as bathing, worship, and ancestral rites (śrāddha) in their broader mahatmya contexts.