Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

विचित्रमाल्याभरणं चित्रवस्त्रानुलेपनम् । आपगाभिः सरूपाभिः स्त्रीरूपाभिः समावृतम्

Transliteration

vicitramālyābharaṇaṃ citravastrānulepanam | āpagābhiḥ sarūpābhiḥ strīrūpābhiḥ samāvṛtam

Translation

അവൻ വിചിത്ര മാല്യാഭരണങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ടവൻ, മനോഹര വസ്ത്രങ്ങളും ചന്ദനാദി അനുലേപനവും ധരിച്ച് ശോഭിച്ചു; സമരൂപമായ നദികൾ സ്ത്രീരൂപം ധരിച്ചു അവനെ ചുറ്റിനിന്നു.

Word by Word

• विचित्रमाल्याभरणम्: variegated garlands and ornaments
• विचित्रमाल्याभरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + माल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विशेषणपूर्वपद-निर्दिष्टम्)

• चित्रवस्त्रानुलेपनम्: anointing with colorful garments (and unguents)
• चित्रवस्त्रानुलेपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चित्रवस्त्र-सम्बद्धम् अनुलेपनम्)

• आपगाभिः: by rivers
• आपगाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपगा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सरूपाभिः: similar-formed
• सरूपाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (आपगाभिः)

• स्त्रीरूपाभिः: having the form of women
• स्त्रीरूपाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणम् (आपगाभिः)

• समावृतम्: covered/encircled
• समावृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘आवृत’ = ‘covered/enclosed’

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (sāgara with āpaga-retinue)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Ocean-deity appears as a richly adorned sovereign, wearing garlands, ornaments, painted unguents, and fine garments, encircled by river-goddesses in womanly forms like a divine retinue.

Characters & Entities

• Samudra/Sāgara (Ocean)
• Āpagāḥ (Rivers personified)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Waters—rivers and ocean—are treated as sacred, living presences, inviting devotion and purity in relation to tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose coastal-sacred setting highlights the sanctity of ocean and river confluences.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse supports the sanctity of water-bodies that commonly frame snāna and tīrtha practices.