Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

पीतांबरो घनश्यामो नागारिकृतवाहनः । चतुर्भुजो महा तेजाः शंखचक्रगदाधरः

Transliteration

pītāṃbaro ghanaśyāmo nāgārikṛtavāhanaḥ | caturbhujo mahā tejāḥ śaṃkhacakragadādharaḥ

Translation

അവൻ പീതാംബരം ധരിച്ചവൻ, ഘനമേഘംപോലെ ശ്യാമവർണ്ണൻ; നാഗത്തെ വാഹനമാക്കിയവൻ. ചതുര്ഭുജൻ, മഹാതേജസ്വി, ശംഖ-ചക്ര-ഗദാധാരി.

Word by Word

• पीताम्बरः: wearing yellow garments
• पीताम्बरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीताम्बर (प्रातिपदिक; पीत + अम्बर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन; विशेषण

• घनश्यामः: dark like a cloud
• घनश्यामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घनश्याम (प्रातिपदिक; घन + श्याम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण

• नागारिकृतवाहनः: whose mount was made by the enemy of Nāgas
• नागारिकृतवाहनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नागारि-कृत-वाहन (प्रातिपदिक; नागारि + कृत + वाहन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण; (नागारिणा कृतं वाहनं यस्य)

• चतुर्भुजः: four-armed
• चतुर्भुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्भुज (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + भुज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण

• महा: great
• महा: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/अव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद; अत्र समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण (as prior member)

• तेजाः: splendour, radiance
• तेजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन; (तेजाः इति वैदिक/काव्य-रूप)

• शंखचक्रगदाधरः: bearing conch, discus, and mace
• शंखचक्रगदाधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंख-चक्र-गदा-धर (प्रातिपदिक; शंख + चक्र + गदा + धर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण; (शंखं चक्रं गदां च धरति)

Speaker

Narrator

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied royal listener in frame narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Janārdana stands or hovers, clad in yellow silk, cloud-dark complexion, four arms holding conch, discus, mace (and implied lotus), with a serpent-associated conveyance motif; blazing aura surrounds him.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Śaṅkha (conch)
• Cakra (discus)
• Gadā (mace)
• Nāga (serpent)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contemplation of the Lord’s auspicious form (rūpa-dhyāna) steadies devotion and anchors the mind in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The imagery belongs to Vaikuṇṭha’s divine setting rather than a named earthly tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, rūpa-dhyāna (meditative visualization) of Viṣṇu’s form and attributes.