Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

मुक्तकेशं मुक्तकच्छं स्वर्णकंबलधारिणम् । यष्टिस्कंधं रेणुवृतं व्याधिभिः परिवारितम्

Transliteration

muktakeśaṃ muktakacchaṃ svarṇakaṃbaladhāriṇam | yaṣṭiskaṃdhaṃ reṇuvṛtaṃ vyādhibhiḥ parivāritam

Translation

เขาปรากฏกายด้วยผมปล่อยสยายและนุ่งห่มหลวม ๆ คลุมผ้าห่มทองคำ พิงไม้เท้า ถูกฝุ่นละอองปกคลุม และถูกรายล้อมด้วยโรคภัยทั้งหลาย

Word by Word

• मुक्तकेशम्: with loose hair
• मुक्तकेशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular; agrees with अजापालम्); कर्मधारय (मुक्ताः केशाः यस्य/मुक्तकेशः)

• मुक्तकच्छम्: with loosened garment/waist-cloth
• मुक्तकच्छम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + कच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (मुक्तः कच्छः यस्य = with loosened waist-cloth/loin-cloth)

• स्वर्णकम्बलधारिणम्: wearing a golden blanket
• स्वर्णकम्बलधारिणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + कम्बल (प्रातिपदिक) + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वर्णस्य कम्बलः) + उपपद-तत्पुरुष (कम्बलं धारयति = धारिन्)

• यष्टिस्कन्धम्: with a staff on the shoulder
• यष्टिस्कन्धम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (यष्ट्या स्कन्धः/यष्टिः स्कन्धे यस्य—staff on shoulder)

• रेणुवृतम्: covered with dust
• रेणुवृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रेणु (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (रेणुना वृतम् = covered with dust)

• व्याधिभिः: by diseases/ailments
• व्याधिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)

• परिवारितम्: surrounded, encircled
• परिवारितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + वृ (धातु) → परिवारित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular; agrees with अजापालम्)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Śaunaka’s assembly (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dust-covered, staff-leaning figure with loose garments and unbound hair, wrapped in a golden blanket, stands in a sacred landscape; ailments personified hover around him like a ring of shadowy attendants.

Characters & Entities

• Ajāpāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma acknowledges human frailty; endurance and inner resolve can coexist with outward hardship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s sanctifying frame is Prabhāsa-kṣetra, though this verse is character-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive verse.