Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

भक्ताभयप्रदं शांतं श्रीवत्सांकं महाभुजम् । सदा प्रसन्नवदनं घनश्यामं चतुर्भुजम्

Transliteration

bhaktābhayapradaṃ śāṃtaṃ śrīvatsāṃkaṃ mahābhujam | sadā prasannavadanaṃ ghanaśyāmaṃ caturbhujam

Translation

അവൻ ഭക്തർക്കു അഭയം നല്കുന്നവൻ, ശാന്തസ്വരൂപൻ, ശ്രീവത്സചിഹ്നധാരി, മഹാബാഹു. സദാ പ്രസന്നമുഖൻ, ഘനശ്യാമൻ, ചതുര്ഭുജൻ.

Word by Word

• भक्त-अभय-प्रदम्: giver of fearlessness to devotees
• भक्त-अभय-प्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अभय (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; प्र + दा धातु, क)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः) ‘भक्तेभ्यः अभयं प्रददाति’

• शान्तम्: peaceful
• शान्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (कृदन्त; शम् धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• श्रीवत्स-अङ्कम्: bearing the Śrīvatsa mark
• श्रीवत्स-अङ्कम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीवत्स (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः) ‘श्रीवत्सः अङ्के यस्य’

• महा-भुजम्: with mighty arms
• महा-भुजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (उपसर्गवत् विशेषण) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारयः) ‘महान्तः भुजाः यस्य’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• प्रसन्न-वदनम्: with a serene face
• प्रसन्न-वदनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (कृदन्त; सद्/सद्? here प्रसद् धातु, क्त) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारयः)

• घन-श्यामम्: dark like a rain-cloud
• घन-श्यामम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घन (प्रातिपदिक) + श्याम (प्रातिपदिक/विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारयः) ‘घन इव श्यामः’

• चतुर्-भुजम्: four-armed
• चतुर्-भुजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (द्विगुः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Dvārakā Māhātmya; specific speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-tīrtha (Dvāravatī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene four-armed Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa stands or sits in royal composure, rain-cloud dark, Śrīvatsa on the chest, mighty arms bearing conch and discus; his face is ever-smiling, radiating fearlessness to devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śrīvatsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti leads to abhaya (fearlessness), because the Lord’s nature is peace and protection for devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s sacred domain where Viṣṇu’s gracious form is revealed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the emphasis is on the Lord’s qualities experienced through devotion.