Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

खट्वाङ्गैरुल्मुकैर्दीप्तैर्व्यचरन्मातरः क्षये । उमासंनोदिता सर्वाः प्रधावन्त्यो दिशो दश

Transliteration

khaṭvāṅgairulmukairdīptairvyacaranmātaraḥ kṣaye | umāsaṃnoditā sarvāḥ pradhāvantyo diśo daśa

Translation

Mit Khaṭvāṅgas und lodernden Feuerbränden zogen die Mütter zur Zeit der Auflösung umher; von Umā angetrieben, stürmten sie alle hervor und eilten in die zehn Himmelsrichtungen.

Word by Word

• खट्वाङ्गैः: with clubs (khaṭvāṅgas)
• खट्वाङ्गैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खट्वाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• उल्मुकैः: with firebrands
• उल्मुकैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उल्मुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दीप्तैः: blazing
• दीप्तैः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (खट्वाङ्गैः/उल्मुकैः)

• व्यचरन्: they moved about
• व्यचरन्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; छन्दसि/संहितायां रूप-लोप (व्यचरन् = व्यचरन्(त्))

• मातरः: the Mothers
• मातरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• क्षये: in destruction; at the time of ruin
• क्षये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; देश/अवस्था-वाचक

• उमा: with Umā
• उमा: Sahartha (सहार्थ/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (उमा-सा = उमया सह, ‘with Umā’)

• संनोदिताः: urged on; impelled
• संनोदिताः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√नुद् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मातरः)

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

• प्रधावन्त्यः: running forth
• प्रधावन्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—participial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√धाव् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मातरः)

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma (कर्म/Object—goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-शब्द; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचनार्थे; विशेषण (दिशः)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the time of dissolution, Mātṛkās brandish khaṭvāṅgas and blazing firebrands, propelled by Umā; they surge outward like a storm, splitting into ten directional streams.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛkās (Mother-goddesses)
• Umā (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śakti acts under divine guidance; Umā’s command symbolizes disciplined power deployed for cosmic restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider Revā/Narmadā milieu is implied; no single named tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.