Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

कर्णिकामध्यगं दीप्तं बहुवर्णमतिस्थिरम् । आनंदाश्रुपरिक्लिन्नवदनः पुलकांकितः

Transliteration

karṇikāmadhyagaṃ dīptaṃ bahuvarṇamatisthiram | ānaṃdāśrupariklinnavadanaḥ pulakāṃkitaḥ

Translation

ณกลางเกสรของดอกบัว เขาเห็นภาวะอันเรืองรอง—หลากสีและมั่นคงยิ่ง ใบหน้าชุ่มด้วยน้ำตาแห่งปีติ และกายปรากฏอาการขนลุกซู่

Word by Word

• कर्णिकामध्यगम्: located in the lotus’s center
• कर्णिकामध्यगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्णिका-मध्य-ग (प्रातिपदिक; ग = √गम् (धातु) से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्णिकायाः मध्ये गतं/स्थितम्)

• दीप्तम्: shining
• दीप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दीप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘shining’

• बहुवर्णम्: many-colored
• बहुवर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास — ‘many-colored’

• अतिस्थिरम्: very steady
• अतिस्थिरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति-स्थिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-विशेषण (अति + स्थिर) — ‘very steady’

• आनन्द: of joy
• आनन्द: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (समासे पूर्वपद)

• अश्रु: tears
• अश्रु: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (समासे मध्यपद)

• परिक्लिन्नवदनः: whose face was drenched (with tears of joy)
• परिक्लिन्नवदनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-√क्लिद् (धातु) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास — ‘whose face is drenched (with …)’; अन्तर्भूत-तृतीया/हेतौ (आनन्दाश्रुभिः)

• पुलकाङ्कितः: covered with goosebumps
• पुलकाङ्कितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुलक-अङ्कित (प्रातिपदिक; अङ्कित = √अङ्क्/अङ्क (धातु) से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास — ‘marked with horripilation’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; narrative description leading to 'Sūta uvāca' at 25)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the heart-lotus’ center, a radiant, many-colored divine presence appears—steady like a flame without wind. Brahmā’s faces are wet with blissful tears; his body shows goosebumps, aura expanding outward.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (implied by context: prapitāmahaḥ in prior śloka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True darśana produces steadiness and devotion—inner radiance accompanied by spontaneous signs of bliss (aśru, pulaka).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya in Nāgarakhaṇḍa; this verse itself does not name the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the focus is meditative vision and its devotional effects.