Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

विमला तेन सा प्रोक्ता विद्वद्भिर्नृपसत्तम । करैरिन्दुकरप्रख्यैः सूर्यरश्मिसमप्रभा

Transliteration

vimalā tena sā proktā vidvadbhirnṛpasattama | karairindukaraprakhyaiḥ sūryaraśmisamaprabhā

Translation

ฉะนั้นแล โอ้พระราชาผู้ประเสริฐ บัณฑิตทั้งหลายจึงประกาศเรียกนางว่า ‘วิมลา’; รัศมีของนางดุจแสงจันทร์ และความสว่างของนางเสมอด้วยลำแสงแห่งสุริยะ

Word by Word

• विमला: pure/spotless
• विमला: Visheshana (Predicate adjective of सा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेन: therefore/for that reason
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; हेतु-प्रयोगे ‘therefore/for that reason’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रोक्ता: is called/was declared
• प्रोक्ता: Predicate (Karmani)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे विधेय

• विद्वद्भिः: by the learned
• विद्वद्भिः: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive / by whom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘नृपाणां सत्तमः’

• करैः: with hands/rays
• करैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• इन्दुकरप्रख्यैः: resembling moonbeams
• इन्दुकरप्रख्यैः: Visheshana (of करैः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्दु + कर + प्रख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘इन्दु-करैः प्रख्याः’ = like moon-rays; करैः इति विशेषण

• सूर्यरश्मिसमप्रभा: having radiance equal to sun-rays
• सूर्यरश्मिसमप्रभा: Visheshana (Adjective of सा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य + रश्मि + सम + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘सूर्य-रश्मि-समा प्रभा यस्याः’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate narrative context; dialogue addressed to a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vimalā (Revā/Narmadā epithet)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa-sattama/rāja-sattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous river whose surface alternates between cool silver (moon) and golden brilliance (sun); sages/learned figures gesture in affirmation, declaring her ‘Vimalā’ before a king.

Characters & Entities

• Vimalā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and divine radiance are presented as defining marks of a sacred presence; the tīrtha’s very name teaches inner and outer purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha identified by the epithet/name “Vimalā,” praised for its purifying brilliance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it focuses on the glorification and name-meaning of the tīrtha.