Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

हरांगरागवद्भाति क्वचित्कुटजकुड्मलैः । क्वचित्तु कर्णिकारैश्च विष्णोर्वासःसमप्रभः

Transliteration

harāṃgarāgavadbhāti kvacitkuṭajakuḍmalaiḥ | kvacittu karṇikāraiśca viṣṇorvāsaḥsamaprabhaḥ

Translation

ചിലിടങ്ങളിൽ കുടജകുട്മലങ്ങളാൽ അത് ഹരന്റെ അംഗങ്ങളിൽ പുരട്ടുന്ന അങ്കരാഗംപോലെ തിളങ്ങുന്നു; മറ്റിടങ്ങളിൽ കർണികാരപുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ വിഷ്ണുധാമസമപ്രഭയായി പ്രകാശിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• हराङ्गरागवत्: like the body-unguents of Hara (Śiva)
• हराङ्गरागवत्: Upamana (Simile adjunct/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + राग (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमानवाचक; -वत् = 'like'); समासः: हर-अङ्ग-राग = 'the unguent/color on Hara’s body' + वत्

• भाति: shines/appears
• भाति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• क्वचित्: somewhere
• क्वचित्: Desha (Spatial adjunct/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देश/कालवाचक; 'somewhere/sometimes')

• कुटजकुड्मलैः: with kuṭaja buds
• कुटजकुड्मलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुटज (प्रातिपदिक) + कुड्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (कुड्मल), तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः: कुटज-कुड्मल = 'buds of kuṭaja' (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• क्वचित्: elsewhere
• क्वचित्: Desha (Spatial adjunct/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देश/कालवाचक)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/विशेषार्थक particle; 'but/indeed')

• कर्णिकारैः: with karṇikāra flowers/trees
• कर्णिकारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्णिकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

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

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• वासः: garment
• वासः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• समप्रभः: having equal radiance (to it)
• समप्रभः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: समा प्रभा यस्य/समप्रभ = 'of equal splendor'

Speaker

Narrator (within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred coastal woodland in Prabhāsa: clusters of kuṭaja buds glint like unguent on Śiva’s limbs; elsewhere golden karṇikāra blossoms cast a celestial sheen, evoking Vaikuṇṭha-like radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Viṣṇu
• Kuṭaja
• Karṇikāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A supreme tīrtha embraces multiple divine visions—Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava splendor are seen as complementary in the holy landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is portrayed as having radiance comparable to divine realms associated with Śiva and Viṣṇu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse heightens devotional contemplation (bhāvanā) of the kṣetra.