Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

दधानं चोरसा मालां विशालां हेमनिर्मिताम् । ईषत्स्मितं सुबिंबोष्ठं नूपुरारावशोभितम्

Transliteration

dadhānaṃ corasā mālāṃ viśālāṃ hemanirmitām | īṣatsmitaṃ subiṃboṣṭhaṃ nūpurārāvaśobhitam

Translation

นางสวมพวงมาลัยกว้างทำด้วยทองไว้บนอุระ. ด้วยรอยยิ้มแผ่วเบา ริมฝีปากดุจผลพิมพา (บิมพะ) สุก และเสียงนูปุระที่กังวานไพเราะ ทำให้นางยิ่งผ่องพราย.

Word by Word

• दधानम्: bearing
• दधानम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √धा (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तः (present participle): ‘bearing/holding’

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

• उरसा: on/with the chest
• उरसा: Adhikaraṇa/Upādhi (Locative sense via instrument: on the chest)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचनम्

• मालाम्: garland
• मालाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचनम्

• विशालाम्: large
• विशालाम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying मालाम्)

• हेमनिर्मिताम्: made of gold
• हेमनिर्मिताम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम-निर्मित (प्रातिपदिक); हेम (noun) + निर्मित (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम् (qualifying मालाम्); समासः—तत्पुरुषः: ‘हेम्ना निर्मिता’

• ईषत्स्मितम्: slightly smiling
• ईषत्स्मितम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईषत्-स्मित (प्रातिपदिक); ईषत् (अव्यय) + स्मित (कृदन्त/adj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; अव्ययीभावसमासः: ‘slightly smiling’

• सुबिंबोष्ठम्: with beautiful bimba-like lips
• सुबिंबोष्ठम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-बिम्ब-ओष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक); सु (अव्यय-पूर्वपद) + बिम्ब (noun) + ओष्ठ (noun)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयभावः: ‘बिम्बवत् (सुन्दर) ओष्ठः’

• नूपुरारावशोभितम्: adorned by the sound of anklets
• नूपुरारावशोभितम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नूपुर-आराव-शोभित (प्रातिपदिक); नूपुर (noun) + आराव (noun) + शोभित (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: ‘नूपुराणाम् आरावेण शोभितम्’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sārasvata continuing the narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close, sensuous iconographic detail: a broad golden garland across the chest, a faint smile, ripe bimba-like lips, and anklets whose sweet sound enhances her radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī/Umā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine beauty is presented as a doorway to devotion—darśana (sacred sight) awakens reverence and steadies the mind toward worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa), framing the Goddess’s appearance as part of the sacred-place glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it is a dhyāna-oriented description supporting contemplative visualization of the Devī.