Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

विमला तेन सा प्रोक्ता विद्वद्भिर्नृपसत्तम । करैरिन्दुकरप्रख्यैः सूर्यरश्मिसमप्रभा

Transliteration

vimalā tena sā proktā vidvadbhirnṛpasattama | karairindukaraprakhyaiḥ sūryaraśmisamaprabhā

Translation

پس اے بہترین بادشاہ! اہلِ دانش اسے ‘وِملا’ کہتے ہیں؛ اس کی کرنیں چاندنی جیسی ہیں اور اس کی تابانی سورج کی شعاعوں کے مانند ہے۔

Word by Word

• विमला: pure/spotless
• विमला: Visheshana (Predicate adjective of सा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेन: therefore/for that reason
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; हेतु-प्रयोगे ‘therefore/for that reason’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रोक्ता: is called/was declared
• प्रोक्ता: Predicate (Karmani)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे विधेय

• विद्वद्भिः: by the learned
• विद्वद्भिः: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive / by whom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘नृपाणां सत्तमः’

• करैः: with hands/rays
• करैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• इन्दुकरप्रख्यैः: resembling moonbeams
• इन्दुकरप्रख्यैः: Visheshana (of करैः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्दु + कर + प्रख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘इन्दु-करैः प्रख्याः’ = like moon-rays; करैः इति विशेषण

• सूर्यरश्मिसमप्रभा: having radiance equal to sun-rays
• सूर्यरश्मिसमप्रभा: Visheshana (Adjective of सा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य + रश्मि + सम + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘सूर्य-रश्मि-समा प्रभा यस्याः’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate narrative context; dialogue addressed to a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vimalā (Revā/Narmadā epithet)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa-sattama/rāja-sattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous river whose surface alternates between cool silver (moon) and golden brilliance (sun); sages/learned figures gesture in affirmation, declaring her ‘Vimalā’ before a king.

Characters & Entities

• Vimalā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and divine radiance are presented as defining marks of a sacred presence; the tīrtha’s very name teaches inner and outer purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha identified by the epithet/name “Vimalā,” praised for its purifying brilliance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it focuses on the glorification and name-meaning of the tīrtha.