Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

नानाभरणपूर्णांगी पीतकौशेयवासिनी । तामब्रवीत्ततो ब्रह्मा देवीं नीलांबुजत्विषम्

Transliteration

nānābharaṇapūrṇāṃgī pītakauśeyavāsinī | tāmabravīttato brahmā devīṃ nīlāṃbujatviṣam

Translation

നാനാഭരണങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കൃതാംഗിയായും പീത കൗശേയ വസ്ത്രധാരിണിയായും ഉള്ള ആ നീലതാമരകാന്തിയുള്ള ദേവിയെ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് അപ്പോൾ അഭിസംബോധന ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• नानाभरणपूर्णाङ्गी: whose limbs were filled/adorned with various ornaments
• नानाभरणपूर्णाङ्गी: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना + आभरण + पूर्ण + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः—‘नानाभरणैः पूर्णानि अङ्गानि यस्याः सा’

• पीतकौशेयवासिनी: wearing yellow silk
• पीतकौशेयवासिनी: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत + कौशेय + वासिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘पीतं कौशेयं वसनं यस्याः सा’ (wearing yellow silk)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तदनन्तर-कालवाचकः

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object; apposition to ताम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• नीलाम्बुजत्विषम्: radiant like a blue lotus
• नीलाम्बुजत्विषम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील + अम्बुज + त्विष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्—‘नीलाम्बुजस्य त्विष् यस्याः’ (having blue-lotus radiance)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa, per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The emanated goddess stands radiant, fully ornamented, wearing yellow silk; Brahmā turns to address her—an iconographic tableau of divine court and consecration-by-speech.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devī (nīlāmbuja-tviṣ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine beauty and divine authority coexist: the goddess is both auspiciously adorned and mission-ready under Brahmā’s direction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred geography is invoked in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse sets the scene for Brahmā’s instructions/boons.