Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

चतुर्भुजो महादेवि शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः । अतसीपुष्पवर्णस्तु पीतवासा जनार्दनः

Transliteration

caturbhujo mahādevi śaṅkhacakragadādharaḥ | atasīpuṣpavarṇastu pītavāsā janārdanaḥ

Translation

Wahai Mahādevī, Janārdana tampak bertangan empat, memegang sangkha, cakra dan gada; warna tubuhnya seperti bunga atasi, dan baginda berselimut pakaian kuning.

Word by Word

• चतुर्-भुजः: four-armed
• चतुर्-भुजः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to जनार्दनः)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• शङ्ख-चक्र-गदा-धरः: bearing conch, discus, and mace
• शङ्ख-चक्र-गदा-धरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; धृ धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अतसी-पुष्प-वर्णः: of the color of flax-flowers
• अतसी-पुष्प-वर्णः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतसी (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• पीत-वासा: wearing yellow garments
• पीत-वासा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत (प्रातिपदिक) + वासस्/वासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within the Anasūyā episode at Revā/Narmadā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Janārdana stands revealed: four-armed, holding conch, discus, and mace; blue-flax (atasi) hue; yellow garments; calm, sovereign posture.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana
• Viṣṇu
• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Gadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace becomes visible through recognizable sacred forms, inspiring devotion and steadiness of mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) riverbank region celebrated in the Revā Khaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated here; the verse focuses on the iconographic vision (darśana) of Viṣṇu.