Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

निरीक्ष्यमाणा च तदा मुकुन्दं तमालनीलं सुकपोलनासम् । विभ्राजमानं वपुषा परेण श्रीवत्सलक्ष्मं सदयावलोकम्

Transliteration

nirīkṣyamāṇā ca tadā mukundaṃ tamālanīlaṃ sukapolanāsam | vibhrājamānaṃ vapuṣā pareṇa śrīvatsalakṣmaṃ sadayāvalokam

Translation

Lalu, ketika memandang Mukunda—gelap bak pohon tamāla, dengan pipi dan hidung yang elok—dia melihat-Nya bersinar dengan cahaya transenden, bertanda Śrīvatsa, serta memandang dengan belas kasih.

Word by Word

• nirīkṣyamāṇā: (she) looking/observing
• nirīkṣyamāṇā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-īkṣ (धातु) + śyānac-pratyaya (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/कर्तरि प्रयोगे शानच्-प्रत्ययान्तः वर्तमानकृदन्तः (present participle) — ‘being/while looking’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• mukundam: Mukunda (Viṣṇu)
• mukundam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukunda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• tamālanīlam: dark-blue like the tamāla tree
• tamālanīlam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tamāla (प्रातिपदिक) + nīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तमालस्य नीलः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive tatpuruṣa)

• sukapolanāsam: with beautiful cheeks and nose
• sukapolanāsam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/उपपद) + kapola (प्रातिपदिक) + nāsā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘सु-कपोलौ च नासा च’ इति समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (collective dvandva), सु- उपपदेन विशेषितम्

• vibhrājamānam: shining
• vibhrājamānam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-bhrāj (धातु) + śānac-pratyaya (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्तः (present participle) — ‘shining’

• vapuṣā: by (his) body/form
• vapuṣā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vapus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• pareṇa: supreme, excellent
• pareṇa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘श्रेष्ठ/उत्तम’ अर्थे

• śrīvatsalakṣmam: bearing the Śrīvatsa mark
• śrīvatsalakṣmam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrīvatsa (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘श्रीवत्सः यस्य लक्षणम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• sadayāvalokam: with a compassionate gaze
• sadayāvalokam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-dayā (प्रातिपदिक) + avaloka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘दयायुक्तः अवलोकः’ इति कर्मधारयः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Śaunaka-ādi (typical Purāṇic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lakṣmī (or the observing devotee) beholds Mukunda: tamāla-dark complexion, radiant transcendental body, Śrīvatsa on the chest, eyes softened with compassion; a Himalayan sacred ambience implied by Kedāra context.

Characters & Entities

• Mukunda (Viṣṇu)
• Lakṣmī
• Śrīvatsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana (sacred seeing) of the Lord is transformative; the Supreme is both majestic and compassionate.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s sacred narrative space is implied; the Purāṇic scene supports the Kedārakhaṇḍa’s praise of the region’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the focus is devotional contemplation of the Lord’s form.