Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अलंबुसा देवनारी रूपयौ वनशालिनी । मदयन्ती जनान्सर्वान्सभामध्ये ननर्त वै

Transliteration

alaṃbusā devanārī rūpayau vanaśālinī | madayantī janānsarvānsabhāmadhye nanarta vai

Translation

แล้วนางฟ้าอาลัมพุสา—เยาว์วัยงามสง่า เปล่งประกายด้วยเสน่ห์อันอ่อนช้อย—ได้ร่ายรำจริงแท้กลางสภา ทำให้ผู้มาชุมนุมทั้งปวงหลงใหล

Word by Word

• अलम्बुसा: Alambusā
• अलम्बुसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलम्बुसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्त्री

• देवनारी: a celestial woman
• देवनारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अलम्बुसा इति समानाधिकरणम्; ‘divine woman’

• रूपयौ: with (her) beauty
• रूपयौ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्विवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; here used adverbially/instrumentally in sense ‘in beauty/with beauty’; (form is Vedic/poetic dual usage)

• वनशालिनी: forest-dwelling/forest-adorned
• वनशालिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + शालिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अलम्बुसा इति विशेषणम्; ‘dwelling/abounding in the forest’

• मदयन्ती: delighting
• मदयन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मद् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अलम्बुसा इति कर्तरि; ‘intoxicating/delighting’

• जनान्: people
• जनान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्म of मदयन्ती

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; जनान् इति विशेषणम्

• सभामध्ये: in the midst of the assembly
• सभामध्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्ये (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-निबद्ध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• ननर्त: she danced
• ननर्त: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नृत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘danced’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/पादपूरण (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Alambusā at center stage: poised stance, expressive mudrās, flowing hair and silk, jeweled ornaments catching light; the assembly—devas and sages—watching, momentarily spellbound.

Characters & Entities

• Alambusā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Beauty and art are shown as divine offerings that uplift the mind, preparing it for dharmic discourse and sacred remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse continues the celestial prelude to the Setukhaṇḍa’s tīrtha-centered narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on the assembly’s auspicious performance.