Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

बटुरूपधरः श्रीशो द्विभुजः कमलेक्षमः । अतसीपुष्पसंकाशो वनमालाविभूषितः

Transliteration

baṭurūpadharaḥ śrīśo dvibhujaḥ kamalekṣamaḥ | atasīpuṣpasaṃkāśo vanamālāvibhūṣitaḥ

Translation

ശ്രീശൻ ബടു (ബ്രഹ്മചാരി ബാലൻ) രൂപം ധരിച്ചു പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ടു—ദ്വിഭുജൻ, കമലനയനൻ, അതസീ പുഷ്പംപോലെ ദീപ്തൻ, വനമാലയാൽ അലങ്കൃതൻ.

Word by Word

• बटुरूपधरः: bearing the form of a boy (brahmacārin)
• बटुरूपधरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बटु + रूप + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बटोरूपं धरति) विशेषण (qualifying श्रीशः)

• श्रीशः: Śrīśa (Lord of Lakṣmī/Viṣṇu)
• श्रीशः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• द्विभुजः: two-armed
• द्विभुजः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (two-armed) विशेषण

• कमलेक्षमः: lotus-eyed
• कमलेक्षमः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कमल + ईक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कमलस्य इव ईक्षे/ईक्षणे यस्य) विशेषण

• अतसीपुष्पसंकाशः: resembling flax-flowers
• अतसीपुष्पसंकाशः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतसी + पुष्प + संकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अतसीपुष्पस्य संकाशः) विशेषण

• वनमालाविभूषितः: adorned with a forest-garland
• वनमालाविभूषितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वनमाला (प्रातिपदिक) + वि+भूष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → विभूषित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (वनमालया विभूषितः) विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied dvija audience (explicit in adjacent verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Janārdana appears as a radiant brahmacārin boy: two-armed, lotus-eyed, glowing like the blue atasī flower, wearing a forest garland—simple yet unmistakably divine.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīśa (Viṣṇu)
• Baṭu form
• Vana-mālā
• Atasī flower

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine responds in accessible forms; God’s manifestation is compassionate and suited to the devotee’s context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra region is the narrative setting; this verse primarily provides the theophany’s form-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is prescribed here; it describes the form of Viṣṇu that appears as the fruit of the vrata.