Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

किरातवनिता काचिन्नाम्ना च मणिकर्णिका । अतिकृष्णा विरूपाक्षी कराला भीषणाकृतिः

Transliteration

kirātavanitā kācinnāmnā ca maṇikarṇikā | atikṛṣṇā virūpākṣī karālā bhīṣaṇākṛtiḥ

Translation

มีหญิงชาวกิราตะคนหนึ่งชื่อมณิกรณิกา นางผิวคล้ำยิ่ง ดวงตาผิดรูป ผอมแห้ง และมีรูปลักษณ์น่าสะพรึงกลัว

Word by Word

• किरातवनिता: a Kirāta woman
• किरातवनिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरात + वनिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (किरातस्य वनिता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• काचित्: a certain (woman)
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite pronoun)

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• मणिकर्णिका: Maṇikarṇikā (name)
• मणिकर्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि + कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (मणिमयी कर्णिका/मणिकर्णिका इति नाम); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अतिकृष्णा: very dark
• अतिकृष्णा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (वनिता इति विशेषण)

• विरूपाक्षी: having deformed eyes
• विरूपाक्षी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + रूप + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कराला: hideous, grim
• कराला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कराल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भीषणाकृतिः: of terrifying form
• भीषणाकृतिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषण + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (भीषणा आकृतिः यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya (contextual continuity in Adhyāya 16)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark portrait of a Kirāta woman, dark-complexioned with irregular eyes and gaunt, fearsome features, standing near a sacred waterbody at Prabhāsa; sages in the distance foreshadow a miracle.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Kirāta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-māhātmya often begins by showing worldly limitation or suffering, preparing the ground for the sacred place’s transforming power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is part of Maṇikarṇikā tīrtha’s māhātmya, explaining the background of the name and legend.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; this verse introduces a character central to the tīrtha’s sacred account.