Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

मणिकुंडलविद्योतन्मुखमंडलविभ्रमाम् । नवकुम्कुमपंकांक कपोलदलदर्पणाम्

Transliteration

maṇikuṃḍalavidyotanmukhamaṃḍalavibhramām | navakumkumapaṃkāṃka kapoladaladarpaṇām

Translation

اس کے جواہرات جڑے کُنڈلوں کی روشنی سے اس کا چہرہ جگمگا اٹھا؛ اور اس کے رخسار آئینے جیسے پنکھڑیوں کی مانند تھے، جن پر نئے کُنگُکم کا تازہ سرخ لیپ نمایاں تھا۔

Word by Word

• मणि-कुण्डल-विद्योतत्-मुख-मण्डल-विभ्रमाम्: her whose face-circle is made splendid by the radiance of jeweled earrings
• मणि-कुण्डल-विद्योतत्-मुख-मण्डल-विभ्रमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मणि (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्डल (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्योतत् (कृदन्त; √द्युत् (धातु) शतृ) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक) + विभ्रमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (fem. acc. sg.)

• नव-कुङ्कुम-पङ्क-अङ्क: marked with fresh saffron-paste
• नव-कुङ्कुम-पङ्क-अङ्क: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक) + कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक) + पङ्क (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपम्; समासपूर्वपद (विशेषणम्) — ‘नवकुङ्कुमपङ्केन अङ्कः (चिह्नः)’ इति

• कपोल-दल-दर्पणाम्: having cheeks like mirror-like petals (i.e., petal-smooth, reflective cheeks)
• कपोल-दल-दर्पणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपोल (प्रातिपदिक) + दल (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्पणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (fem. acc. sg.)

Speaker

Narratorial/ritual instruction voice within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa (context: dhyāna-śloka sequence)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close, luminous portrait of the Devī: gem-studded earrings casting prismatic light onto her face; cheeks like petal-mirrors touched with fresh crimson kuṅkuma, emphasizing delicate sheen and symmetry.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī/Śivā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional meditation (dhyāna) begins by vividly contemplating the auspicious, beauty-bearing form of the Goddess, making the mind fit for worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a dhyāna-description supporting Śiva-Śakti worship rather than a site-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, it prescribes dhyāna—visualizing the Devī’s form as a preparatory limb of pūjā.