Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अपरा चापि कोलंबा महाशक्तिः सनातनी । कोलरूपी ययाविष्टः केशवश्चोज्जहार गाम्

Transliteration

aparā cāpi kolaṃbā mahāśaktiḥ sanātanī | kolarūpī yayāviṣṭaḥ keśavaścojjahāra gām

Translation

Eine andere ist Kolambā, die ewige Große Śakti. Von ihr durchdrungen nahm Keśava die Gestalt des Ebers an und hob die Erde empor.

Word by Word

• aparā: another; the other (fem.)
• aparā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aparā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; also/indeed)

• kolaṃbā: Kolambā (name of the goddess)
• kolaṃbā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kolaṃbā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• mahāśaktiḥ: the great power (Mahāśakti)
• mahāśaktiḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-śakti (प्रातिपदिक; महा + शक्ति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महती शक्ति)

• sanātanī: eternal
• sanātanī: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanātanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• kolarūpī: having the form of a boar
• kolarūpī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kola-rūpin (प्रातिपदिक; कोल + रूपिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्त्पुरुष-समास (कोलस्य रूपं यस्य)

• yayā: by whom/with which (fem.)
• yayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• āviṣṭaḥ: possessed; entered
• āviṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-viś (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• keśavaḥ: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• keśavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ujjahāra: took out; lifted out
• ujjahāra: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• gām: the earth
• gām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kolambā/Varāhagiri kṣetra (as implied)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada (contextual addressee appears in v.29)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Keśava as Varāha rises from primordial waters, Earth held aloft on tusks; behind/above, Devī Kolambā as radiant Mahāśakti empowers the act, with Varāhagiri hinted as a sacred backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Kolambā
• Mahāśakti
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• Varāha (boar form)
• Earth (Gā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even Viṣṇu’s avatāra-work is portrayed as Śakti-supported—divine rescue is power united with compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily mythic-theological; a specific tīrtha is not named within this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse establishes Kolambā’s identity and her cosmic role.