Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

श्वेतवस्त्रा विनिष्क्रांता नारी बालार्कसव्रिभा । तथान्या च सुनेत्रास्या तप्तहाटकसन्निभा

Transliteration

śvetavastrā viniṣkrāṃtā nārī bālārkasavribhā | tathānyā ca sunetrāsyā taptahāṭakasannibhā

Translation

വെള്ള വസ്ത്രധാരിണിയായ ഒരു സ്ത്രീ പുറത്തുവന്നു, ഉദയിക്കുന്ന ബാലസൂര്യനെപ്പോലെ ദീപ്തയായി; മറ്റൊരാളും പ്രത്യക്ഷയായി—സുനേത്രി, തപ്തസ്വർണ്ണംപോലെ പ്രകാശമുള്ളവൾ.

Word by Word

• śveta-vastrā: clad in white garments
• śveta-vastrā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śveta (प्रातिपदिक) + vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (one who has white garments)

• viniṣkrāṃtā: having come out; emerged
• viniṣkrāṃtā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-niṣ-√kram (धातु) → viniṣkrānta (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• nārī: a woman
• nārī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• bāla-arka-sadṛśībhā: having radiance like the young sun
• bāla-arka-sadṛśībhā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक) + arka (प्रातिपदिक) + sadṛśa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (bālārkasya sadṛśī bhā/ābhā yasyāḥ = whose radiance is like the rising sun)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार-वाचक (in like manner)

• anyā: another (woman)
• anyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• su-netra-āsyā: with beautiful eyes
• su-netra-āsyā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + netra (प्रातिपदिक) + āsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सुनी नेत्रे यस्याः/सुन्दर-नेत्र-युक्ता)

• tapta-hāṭaka-sannibhā: like molten gold
• tapta-hāṭaka-sannibhā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + hāṭaka (प्रातिपदिक) + sannibha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (taptahāṭakasya sannibhā = resembling heated gold)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in māhātmya style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the glowing kuṇḍa emerge two divine women: one in white garments, radiant like the rising sun; another with beautiful eyes, shining like molten gold—both standing upon lotus-like flame motifs, ornaments catching the firelight.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (white-clad)
• Devī (golden radiance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is presented as a place where divine śakti becomes visible, confirming faith through darśana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same sacred kuṇḍa of the chapter, depicted as a locus of Devī-prādurbhāva (goddess manifestation).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new prescription here; it continues the result of the homa—divine emergence and darśana.