Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

दुर्निरीक्ष्यः कृपायुक्तः समदर्शी तपोनिधिः । तपसा दग्धदेहोपि विष्णुभक्तिपरायणः

Transliteration

durnirīkṣyaḥ kṛpāyuktaḥ samadarśī taponidhiḥ | tapasā dagdhadehopi viṣṇubhaktiparāyaṇaḥ

Translation

അവൻ തേജസ്സാൽ ദുർനിരീക്ഷ്യനായിരുന്നെങ്കിലും കരുണയാൽ സമ്പന്നൻ; സമദർശി, തപോനിധി. തപസ്സാൽ ദേഹം ദഗ്ധമായിട്ടും വിഷ്ണുഭക്തിയിൽ പൂർണ്ണപരായണനായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• दुर्-निरीक्ष्यः: hard to behold
• दुर्-निरीक्ष्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + नि-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (निरीक्ष्य = निरीक्षणीय); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘दुर्’ उपसर्गेण ‘दुर्निरीक्ष्यः’ = difficult to look at

• कृपा-युक्तः: endowed with compassion
• कृपा-युक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त, युज् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (कृपया युक्तः)

• सम-दर्शी: equal-sighted
• सम-दर्शी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (समं पश्यति इति)

• तपो-निधिः: a treasure of austerity
• तपो-निधिः: Apposition (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तपसः निधिः)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• दग्ध-देहः: with a body scorched (by penance)
• दग्ध-देहः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दग्ध (कृदन्त; दह् धातु) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दग्धः देहः यस्य)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (even/also)

• विष्णु-भक्ति-परायणः: wholly devoted to devotion to Vishnu
• विष्णु-भक्ति-परायणः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-परम्परा (विष्णौ भक्तिः यस्य सा; तस्यां परायणः = devoted)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma-khaṇḍa framing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada appears blazing with ascetic radiance, his body marked by tapas, yet his face and posture convey tenderness and compassion; he stands as an impartial seer devoted to Viṣṇu.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True holiness integrates austerity with compassion and culminates in steadfast devotion (bhakti), here centered on Viṣṇu.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse praises the saintly qualities of Nārada within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas and bhakti are implied disciplines; no specific vrata, dāna, or snāna is detailed in this line.