Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सुप्रजा देवमातेव जानकीव धृतव्रता । रविप्रभेव सत्कांतिश्चंद्रिकेव मनोरमा

Transliteration

suprajā devamāteva jānakīva dhṛtavratā | raviprabheva satkāṃtiścaṃdrikeva manoramā

Translation

അവൾ ദേവമാതാവിനെപ്പോലെ സുസന്താനസമ്പന്നയാകും; ജാനകിയെപ്പോലെ (സീതയെപ്പോലെ) ധൃതവ്രതയായിരിക്കും. അവളുടെ ശുഭകാന്തി സൂര്യപ്രഭപോലെ ദീപ്തവും, ചന്ദ്രികപോലെ മനോഹരവും ആയിരിക്കും.

Word by Word

• सुप्रजा: having good offspring / well-born
• सुप्रजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक; सु + प्रजा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

• देवमाता: mother of the gods
• देवमाता: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-माता (प्रातिपदिक; देव + माता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपमान (simile base)

• इव: like, as
• इव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• जानकी: Jānakī (Sītā)
• जानकी: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपमान

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय

• धृतव्रता: firm in vows / observing vows
• धृतव्रता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृत-व्रत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √धृ (धारणे) + व्रत)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त-समास (past-participial adjectival)

• रविप्रभा: sunlight, radiance of the sun
• रविप्रभा: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि-प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक; रवि + प्रभा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपमान

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय

• सत्कान्तिः: excellent beauty/splendour
• सत्कान्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्-कान्ति (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + कान्ति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (सत् = शुभ/उत्तम)

• चन्द्रिका: moonlight
• चन्द्रिका: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपमान

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय

• मनोरमा: charming, delightful
• मनोरमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोरमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

A brāhmaṇa seer/astrologer (dvija) addressing the king (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtly prophecy scene: a serene maiden envisioned with solar radiance and moonlike gentleness; symbolic sun-disc and crescent-moon motifs framing her virtues; the king listens with reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Jānakī (Sītā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious life is portrayed as rooted in dharma—steadfast vows, purity of conduct, and beneficent family life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a character-description within a broader narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse praises vrata-niṣṭhā (firmness in vows) as an ideal.