Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

तत्तेजसा समुद्भूता मातंगी कामरूपिणी । काली करा लवदना दुर्दर्शवदनोज्ज्वला

Transliteration

tattejasā samudbhūtā mātaṃgī kāmarūpiṇī | kālī karā lavadanā durdarśavadanojjvalā

Translation

Aus jener Glutkraft erhob sich Mātaṅgī, die nach Belieben Gestalt annimmt: dunkel von Farbe, mit furchtbaren Händen, mit schrecklichem Antlitz, strahlend in unnahbarer Pracht.

Word by Word

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — Genitive singular; ‘of that’ (तेजसा इत्यस्य सम्बन्ध)

• तेजसा: by (that) radiance
• तेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• समुद्भूता: arisen/produced
• समुद्भूता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उद् + √भू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘arisen/produced’

• मातङ्गी: Mātaṅgī
• मातङ्गी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• कामरूपिणी: assuming desired forms
• कामरूपिणी: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘कामस्य रूपं यस्याः’

• काली: black/dark
• काली: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• करा: handed (having hands)
• करा: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; ‘having hands’ (बहुवचनार्थे अपि एकवचन-प्रयोगः)

• लवदना: with a ‘la’-marked/characteristic face (epithet)
• लवदना: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ल (प्रातिपदिक) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; तत्पुरुषः (वर्ण-विशेषण) ‘ल-वर्णयुक्तं वदनं यस्याः’

• दुर्दर्श: hard to look at
• दुर्दर्श: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप; समासपूर्वपद ‘hard to behold’

• वदन: face
• वदन: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• उज्ज्वला: radiant
• उज्ज्वला: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उज्ज्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

Speaker

Vyāsa (narrative voice implied in this passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From a mass of blazing energy, Mātaṅgī arises—dark-hued, fierce-handed, with a dreadful yet radiant face; her splendor is hard to behold, as if the air itself shimmers.

Characters & Entities

• Mātaṅgī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess manifests from sacred tejas to restore balance, revealing that divine compassion can also appear as fierce protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the sanctified setting; the verse itself focuses on the Goddess’ appearance rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a theophanic description.