Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कुरुते वीक्षणं विष्णुः सन्तुष्टः सह शंभुना

Transliteration

kurute vīkṣaṇaṃ viṣṇuḥ santuṣṭaḥ saha śaṃbhunā

Translation

സന്തുഷ്ടനായ വിഷ്ണു ശംഭു (ശിവൻ) സഹിതം ആ കർമത്തിലും പരേതനിലും കൃപാദൃഷ്ടി ചൊരിയുന്നു।

Word by Word

• कुरुते: does, performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वीक्षणम्: a glance, looking
• वीक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सन्तुष्टः: satisfied, pleased
• सन्तुष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + तुष् (धातु) → सन्तुष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विष्णुः)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; सहार्थक-उपपद (preposition-like indeclinable)

• शंभुना: with Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुना: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सह-योगे

Speaker

Prahlāda (within the Dvārakā Māhātmya narration; Sūta resumes at 43.22)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual: sages/assembly hearing the māhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, serene and radiant, stands beside Śambhu; both cast a compassionate, downward glance upon a devotee’s rite, suggesting invisible cleansing and blessing.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma culminates in divine grace: the rite is sanctified by the approving glance of both Viṣṇu and Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s Māhātmya context emphasizes a sacred space where devotion draws divine favor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new action is added here; it affirms divine approval of the previously described Tulasī-wood cremation practice.