Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

स्थाप्या मातर्यथास्थाने यथायोग्या दिशोदिश । गरुडेन समारूढा त्रिशूलवरधारिणी

Transliteration

sthāpyā mātaryathāsthāne yathāyogyā diśodiśa | garuḍena samārūḍhā triśūlavaradhāriṇī

Translation

Die Mutter sollte an ihrem rechten Ort eingesetzt werden, in jeder Himmelsrichtung angemessen; auf Garuḍa reitend, den Dreizack tragend und Segnungen spendend.

Word by Word

• स्थाप्या: to be installed/should be placed
• स्थाप्या: Karya (to be done/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्थाप् (धातु) → स्थाप्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कृदन्तः—तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/passive necessity), ‘स्थापनीया’ इत्यर्थः

• माति: in/at the mother (i.e., in the mother’s place)
• माति: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (वैदिक/छान्दस रूप ‘माति’ = ‘मातरि’)

• यथा-स्थाने: in the proper place
• यथा-स्थाने: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; समस्तपदम् अव्ययवत्; अर्थः ‘यथास्थानम्’ = ‘स्वस्थानानुसारम्/appropriate place’

• यथा-योग्या: as is fitting/appropriate
• यथा-योग्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (यथायोग्य = ‘as appropriate’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्थाप्या इत्यस्य)

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Adhikarana (Spatial domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• दिशः: (in) each direction
• दिशः: Adhikarana (Spatial domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति (दिशो दिशः = ‘each and every direction’)

• गरुडेन: by/with Garuḍa
• गरुडेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• समारूढा: mounted (upon)
• समारूढा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + √रुह् (धातु) → समारूढ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘mounted/ascended’

• त्रिशूल-वर-धारिणी: bearing a trident and a boon (or excellent weapon)
• त्रिशूल-वर-धारिणी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिशूल (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक) + धारिणी (√धृ धातु; धारिन्/धारिणी प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः: ‘त्रिशूलं वरं च धारयती’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (देव्याः)

Speaker

Deductive (Dharmāraṇya narrative frame): Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇyaka (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecration scene: priests/elders installing the Mother in her rightful seat; she appears mounted on Garuḍa, holding a trident and displaying a boon-giving gesture, with the directions ritually marked around the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛ (Mother Goddess)
• Garuḍa
• Triśūla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right worship begins with right placement—honoring Devī appropriately establishes protection and opens the way for grace (vara).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, described through the ritual logic of installing the Mother across the sacred directions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Installation (sthāpana) of the Mother in appropriate directional locations is implied.