Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

केशैः कंकणैर्दिव्यैः शक्रचापनिभैः शुभैः । हेमसूत्रैश्च जात्यैश्च मेखलाभिस्तथैव च

Transliteration

keśaiḥ kaṃkaṇairdivyaiḥ śakracāpanibhaiḥ śubhaiḥ | hemasūtraiśca jātyaiśca mekhalābhistathaiva ca

Translation

دیوی کنگن، جو مبارک اور شکر (اِندر) کے دھنش کی مانند درخشاں تھے؛ نیز سونے کے دھاگے، نفیس زیورات اور میکھلا (کمر بند) بھی۔

Word by Word

• केशैः: with hair(-ornaments)/tresses
• केशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• कंकणैः: with bangles
• कंकणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंकण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• दिव्यैः: divine, splendid
• दिव्यैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; 'कंकणैः' इति विशेषण

• शक्रचापनिभैः: resembling Indra's bow
• शक्रचापनिभैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्र + चाप + निभ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'शक्रस्य चाप इव निभाः' (like Indra's bow)

• शुभैः: auspicious, beautiful
• शुभैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; विशेषण (auspicious/beautiful)

• हेमसूत्रैः: with gold strings
• हेमसूत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम + सूत्र (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'हेमस्य सूत्राणि' (gold threads/strings)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• जात्यैः: of fine quality, genuine
• जात्यैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; 'हेमसूत्रैः' इत्यादीनां विशेषण; जात्य = शुद्ध/उत्तमजाति (of fine quality)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• मेखलाभिः: with girdles
• मेखलाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेखला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थे (likewise)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; speaker not explicit in this excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Divine bracelets shimmering like a rainbow, golden threads and fine ornaments, girdles arranged for travel/ritual; the palette is iridescent yet disciplined, suggesting sacred preparation.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred preparation is portrayed as careful, auspicious ordering of one’s outer and inner life before engaging a tīrtha or vrata.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains within the unnamed kṣetra context of Adhyāya 111; the specific tīrtha is not stated here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct injunction; it continues the description of auspicious items typically associated with worship and observance.