Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

मयाराध्य समानीता कटाहादत्र संस्थिता । कोटिकोटिवृता नित्यं त्रायते पश्चिमां दिशम्

Transliteration

mayārādhya samānītā kaṭāhādatra saṃsthitā | koṭikoṭivṛtā nityaṃ trāyate paścimāṃ diśam

Translation

Nachdem ich sie verehrt hatte, brachte ich sie aus Kaṭāha herbei und setzte sie hier ein. Von unzähligen Krore umgeben, schützt sie stets die westliche Richtung.

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent’s instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive), ‘having worshipped’

• समानीता: brought/led here
• समानीता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-नी (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कटाहात्: from the cauldron/vessel
• कटाहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संस्थिता: stationed/placed
• संस्थिता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कोटिकोटिवृता: surrounded by crores upon crores
• कोटिकोटिवृता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि-कोटि-वृत (प्रातिपदिक; कोटि + कोटि + वृत)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• त्रायते: protects
• त्रायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पश्चिमाम्: western
• पश्चिमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating (first-person quotation preserved)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kaṭāha (as source) / installed Devī-sthāna (destination unnamed in verse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kurunandana (continued address context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A worshipper-sage/kingly figure narrates bringing the Devī from Kaṭāha; the Devī stands enthroned at the new site, surrounded by innumerable attendants forming a protective ring toward the west.

Characters & Entities

• Kaṭāha
• West (Paścima diś)
• Śakti (contextual Bhāskarā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship (ārādhana) draws divine presence into a region; installed Śakti becomes a perpetual guardian of sacred space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kaṭāha is referenced as the origin-place from which the Goddess is brought; the verse also sacralizes the western quarter through her protective station.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (devotional worship) is mentioned as the means by which the Goddess is invoked and brought.