Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

स्रग्दामधारी चित्रश्च गीतभूषणभूषितः । अथवांऽजनवच्छयामः स्थितो दक्षिणतस्तथा

Transliteration

sragdāmadhārī citraśca gītabhūṣaṇabhūṣitaḥ | athavāṃ'janavacchayāmaḥ sthito dakṣiṇatastathā

Translation

മാലാഹാരധാരിയും വിചിത്രമായി അലങ്കൃതനുമായ അവൻ, പവിത്രഗീതങ്ങളുടെ ഭൂഷണങ്ങളാൽ ഭൂഷിതൻ; അഞ്ജനസമമായ ശ്യാമവർണ്ണനായി തെക്കുഭാഗത്തും നിലകൊണ്ടു।

Word by Word

• स्रक्: garland
• स्रक्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• दाम: wreath/garland-string
• दाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• धारी: wearing/holding
• धारी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृ (धातु) + णिनि-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तरि-णिनि (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• चित्रः: variegated/wondrous
• चित्रः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

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

• गीत: song/singing
• गीत: Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participial), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (Neuter stem)

• भूषण: ornament
• भूषण: Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (Neuter stem)

• भूषितः: adorned
• भूषितः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• अथवा: or/alternatively
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अञ्जनवत्: like collyrium/black as collyrium
• अञ्जनवत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive/like), अव्ययवत् उपमान-विशेषण (comparative adjective), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• छायामः: dark/blackish
• छायामः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छायाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• स्थितः: standing/placed
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• दक्षिणतः: to the south/on the right side
• दक्षिणतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: तस्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (directional adverb)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: To the south stands Atharvaveda—dark as collyrium, wondrously adorned, wearing garlands and decorations that are themselves ‘ornaments of sacred song’.

Characters & Entities

• Veda (contextual—Sāmaveda-related imagery of song)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sound (gīta/chant) is treated as a divine ornament, implying that devotion through Vedic recitation is itself sanctifying—especially at Prabhāsa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, presented as a mandala-like sacred space with directional presences.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse indirectly elevates Vedic chant and sacred song as devotional excellence.