Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सर्वमेतज्जगद्धात्री जन्म चक्रे धरातले । महिषासुरनाशाय सा च कात्यायनी भुवि

Transliteration

sarvametajjagaddhātrī janma cakre dharātale | mahiṣāsuranāśāya sā ca kātyāyanī bhuvi

Translation

সেই জগদ্ধাত্রী দেবী নানাবিধ রূপে পৃথিবীতে জন্ম গ্রহণ করলেন। মহিষাসুর-বিনাশের জন্য তিনি ভুবনে কাত্যায়নী হলেন।

Word by Word

• sarvam: all, entire
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (as adjective)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• jagaddhātrī: the sustainer of the world
• jagaddhātrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + dhātrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (jagataḥ dhātrī)

• janma: birth
• janma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• cakre: made, took (birth)
• cakre: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• dharātale: on the surface of the earth
• dharātale: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dharāyāḥ tale)

• mahiṣāsuranāśāya: for the destruction of Mahiṣāsura
• mahiṣāsuranāśāya: Sampradāna (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣāsura (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mahiṣāsurasya nāśāya)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kātyāyanī: Kātyāyanī
• kātyāyanī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kātyāyanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• bhuvi: on earth
• bhuvi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The World-Mother manifests on earth as Kātyāyanī, radiant and martial, poised to destroy Mahiṣāsura; cosmic motherhood and battlefield resolve coexist.

Characters & Entities

• Jagaddhātrī (Devī)
• Mahiṣāsura
• Kātyāyanī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The World-Mother incarnates to remove tyranny and restore Dharma; her forms are purposeful expressions of compassion and justice.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse is pan-Indic in scope; it supports the sanctity of places where the Goddess is worshiped as Kātyāyanī and related forms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the passage strengthens the theological basis for Devī-pūjā and pilgrimage to her shrines.