Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा विस्मिता देवी दिव्यं विष्णुमिवापरम् । श्यामं कमलपत्राक्षं सागरं सुमनोरमम्

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā vismitā devī divyaṃ viṣṇumivāparam | śyāmaṃ kamalapatrākṣaṃ sāgaraṃ sumanoramam

Translation

അവനെ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ ദേവി വിസ്മയിച്ചു; അവൻ മറ്റൊരു ദിവ്യവിഷ്ണുവെന്നപോലെ—ശ്യാമവർണ്ണൻ, കമലപത്രനേത്രൻ, സ്വയം സാഗരം, അത്യന്തം മനോഹരൻ.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्यय-प्रयोग

• विस्मिता: astonished
• विस्मिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-स्मि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle used adjectivally), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); ‘देवी’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying) ‘सागरम्’

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• इव: like/as
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक-निपात (particle of comparison)

• अपरम्: another (as if another Viṣṇu)
• अपरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying) ‘सागरम्’

• श्यामम्: dark-hued
• श्यामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्याम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण ‘सागरम्’

• कमलपत्राक्षम्: lotus-petal-eyed
• कमलपत्राक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कमल (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहि ‘कमलपत्रे इव अक्षिणी यस्य’

• सागरम्: the ocean
• सागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सु-मनो-रमम्: very delightful/pleasing
• सु-मनो-रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); उपपद-तत्पुरुष ‘मनसः रमः/रमणीयः’ + ‘सु’ उपसर्गार्थः; विशेषण ‘सागरम्’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (ocean-darśana)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sarasvatī gazes at the Ocean-deity who appears like a second Viṣṇu—dark-hued, lotus-eyed, exquisitely beautiful—standing amid shimmering waves.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Sarasvatī)
• Samudra/Sāgara (Ocean)
• Viṣṇu (simile)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic powers are portrayed with divine beauty, teaching reverence for creation as an expression of sacred order (ṛta/dharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where even the Ocean is depicted as manifesting divinely in response to the Goddess.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a theophanic description supporting the māhātmya’s sacred atmosphere.