Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ततस्ता मातरो घोरा ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवात्मिकाः । वाय्विन्द्रानलकौबेरा यमतोयेशशक्तयः

Transliteration

tatastā mātaro ghorā brahmaviṣṇuśivātmikāḥ | vāyvindrānalakauberā yamatoyeśaśaktayaḥ

Translation

Da erschienen jene schrecklichen Mütter, die die Kräfte von Brahmā, Viṣṇu und Śiva verkörperten, zusammen mit den Śaktis von Vāyu, Indra, Agni, Kubera, Yama, Varuṇa (Herr der Wasser) und Īśa.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रम-वाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of sequence)

• ताः: those (fem.)
• ताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मातरः: Mothers (divine मातृकाः)
• मातरः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• घोराः: terrible
• घोराः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मातरः)

• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवात्मिकाः: embodying Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva
• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवात्मिकाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + शिव + आत्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मातरः); ‘आत्मिक’ = स्वरूप-युक्त (consisting of)

• वायु: Vāyu
• वायु: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/List-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समाहार-निर्देश (as member in list)

• इन्द्र: Indra
• इन्द्र: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/List-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सूची-समुच्चय

• अनल: Agni (fire)
• अनल: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/List-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सूची-समुच्चय

• कौबेराः: (those) of Kubera
• कौबेराः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौबेर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मातरः) — ‘of Kubera’

• यम: Yama
• यम: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/List-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सूची-समुच्चय

• तोय: water
• तोय: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/List-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सूची-समुच्चय (varuṇa/जल-देवता-सूचक)

• ईश: Īśa (Lord)
• ईश: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/List-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सूची-समुच्चय

• शक्तयः: powers; energies
• शक्तयः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘शक्ति’ = power/energy; मातृकाः-रूपेण

Speaker

Deductive (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession or sudden emergence of dreadful Mothers, each marked by insignia of a deity: Brahmā/Viṣṇu/Śiva triad, then Vāyu, Indra, Agni, Kubera, Yama, Varuṇa, Īśa—forming a complete cosmic guard.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛkās (Mother-goddesses)
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Śiva
• Vāyu
• Indra
• Agni (Anala)
• Kubera
• Yama
• Varuṇa (Toya)
• Īśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine order is upheld through many śaktis; the Mothers manifest as the operative powers of major deities to restore balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The excerpt belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa, centered on the sanctity of the Revā/Narmadā sacred region (tīrtha landscape).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa instruction appears in this verse.