Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

शंखपद्मगदाचक्र चंचत्करचतुष्टयम् । कौस्तुभोद्भासितोरस्कं पीतकौशेयवाससम्

Transliteration

śaṃkhapadmagadācakra caṃcatkaracatuṣṭayam | kaustubhodbhāsitoraskaṃ pītakauśeyavāsasam

Translation

祂四臂灵动，执螺、莲、杵与轮；胸前迦乌斯图婆宝珠辉耀，身披黄色绢衣。

Word by Word

• शङ्ख-पद्म-गदा-चक्र: conch, lotus, mace, and discus
• शङ्ख-पद्म-गदा-चक्र: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Dvandva compound used adjectivally (as first member of larger compound)

• चञ्चत्-कर-चतुष्टयम्: having a set of four moving hands
• चञ्चत्-कर-चतुष्टयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चञ्चत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; तत्पुरुषः (चञ्चत् कराणां चतुष्टयम्) विशेषणम् (अच्युतम्)

• कौस्तुभ-उद्भासित-उरस्कम्: whose chest shines with the Kaustubha jewel
• कौस्तुभ-उद्भासित-उरस्कम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौस्तुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भासित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + उरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; तत्पुरुषः (कौस्तुभेन उद्भासितम् उरः यस्य) विशेषणम् (अच्युतम्)

• पीत-कौशेय-वाससम्: wearing yellow silk garments
• पीत-कौशेय-वाससम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत (प्रातिपदिक) + कौशेय (प्रातिपदिक) + वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; कर्मधारयः (पीतं कौशेयं वासः यस्य) विशेषणम् (अच्युतम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Likely Agastya or a principal ṛṣi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close, iconic darśana of Viṣṇu: four hands in dynamic poise holding conch, lotus, mace, and discus; Kaustubha blazing on the chest; yellow silk garments shimmering.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śaṅkha
• Padma
• Gadā
• Cakra
• Kaustubha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine is recognized through sacred signs—Viṣṇu’s emblems symbolize protection, order, and grace available to devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider episode is situated in the Kāśī sacred circuit (with Pañcanada referenced earlier), while this verse details the deity’s form.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse supports dhyāna (meditative visualization) through precise iconographic description.