Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तमुवाच हृषीकेशो मेघगंभीरया गिरा । ध्यानस्थितं नृपश्रेष्ठं शंख चक्रगदाधरः

Transliteration

tamuvāca hṛṣīkeśo meghagaṃbhīrayā girā | dhyānasthitaṃ nṛpaśreṣṭhaṃ śaṃkha cakragadādharaḥ

Translation

ശംഖചക്രഗദാധാരിയായ ഹൃഷീകേശൻ മേഘഗംഭീരമായ വാണിയിൽ ധ്യാനസ്ഥനായ ആ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠനോട് അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• tam: him
• tam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• hṛṣīkeśaḥ: Hṛṣīkeśa (Viṣṇu)
• hṛṣīkeśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛṣīkeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; संज्ञा

• megha-gambhīrayā: with (a voice) deep like a cloud
• megha-gambhīrayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: megha (प्रातिपदिक) + gambhīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (girā इति)

• girā: by/with (his) speech
• girā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gir (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• dhyāna-sthitam: seated in meditation
• dhyāna-sthitam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक) + sthita (कृदन्त; √sthā)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त-प्रत्ययः (क्त), विशेषणम् (nṛpaśreṣṭham इति)

• nṛpa-śreṣṭham: the best of kings
• nṛpa-śreṣṭham: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; संज्ञा

• śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-dharaḥ: the bearer of conch, discus, and mace
• śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-dharaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkha (प्रातिपदिक) + cakra (प्रातिपदिक) + gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; बहुपद-समासः; विशेषणरूपेण (hṛṣīkeśaḥ इति)

Speaker

Narrative voice (introducing Hṛṣīkeśa’s address)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu stands radiant, holding conch, discus, and mace; his voice seems to roll like thunder as he addresses the meditating king, who remains seated with folded attention.

Characters & Entities

• Hṛṣīkeśa
• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Gadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord responds to meditation and devotion with direct guidance, revealing His protective, iconic form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it centers on darśana (divine appearance) within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation (dhyāna) is depicted as the king’s practice, but no formal rite is prescribed.