Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

वाससा तडिदाभेन मेघलेखेव वेष्टिता । मालया सुममालिन्या भ्राजिता सालिमालया

Transliteration

vāsasā taḍidābhena meghalekheva veṣṭitā | mālayā sumamālinyā bhrājitā sālimālayā

Translation

ବିଦ୍ୟୁତ୍‌ସମ ଉଜ୍ଜ୍ୱଳ ବସ୍ତ୍ରରେ ସେ ଆବୃତ ଥିଲେ, ଯେନ ମେଘରେଖା ତାଙ୍କୁ ବେଷ୍ଟିତ କରିଛି। ସୁଗନ୍ଧିତ ପୁଷ୍ପମାଳାରେ ସେ ଶୋଭିତ; ଦିବ୍ୟ କୁସୁମମାଳାର କାନ୍ତିରେ ସେ ଦୀପ୍ତିମାନ ହେଲେ।

Word by Word

• vāsasā: with/by a garment
• vāsasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with a garment)

• taḍidābhena: with lightning-like (splendour)
• taḍidābhena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: taḍit-ābha (प्रातिपदिक; तडित् + आभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular; ‘having the appearance of lightning’

• meghalekhā: a cloud-streak
• meghalekhā: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: megha-lekhā (प्रातिपदिक; मेघ + लेखा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (cloud-streak)

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (Comparative particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय; indeclinable of comparison ‘like/as’

• veṣṭitā: wrapped/encircled
• veṣṭitā: Karmaṇi-bhāva (Passive predicate/कर्मणि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: veṣṭ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; past passive participle ‘wrapped/encircled’

• mālayā: with a garland
• mālayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• sumamālinyā: with a garland of lovely flowers
• sumamālinyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: suma-mālinī (प्रातिपदिक; सुम + मालिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular; ‘having a garland of good flowers’

• bhrājitā: shone/adorned
• bhrājitā: Karmaṇi-bhāva (Passive predicate/कर्मणि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhrāj (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; past passive participle ‘adorned/illuminated’

• sālimālayā: with a garland of sāli (rice-ears)
• sālimālayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāli-mālā (प्रातिपदिक; शालि + माला)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular; ‘with a garland of sāli (rice-ears)’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial Mother-figure appears, wrapped like a streak of cloud, garments flashing like lightning; she shines with layered garlands and a radiant floral wreath, set against a luminous sky.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavatī (Devī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine form is described through cosmic imagery to steady the mind in reverence and devotional contemplation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha is named; the verse is a devotional visualization within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse supports dhyāna (contemplative remembrance) of Devī’s form.