Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

प्रथमायां ततो रात्रौ ययौ सिद्धांबिकापुरः । मंडलं तत्र कृत्वा च भगाकारं करान्नव

Transliteration

prathamāyāṃ tato rātrau yayau siddhāṃbikāpuraḥ | maṃḍalaṃ tatra kṛtvā ca bhagākāraṃ karānnava

Translation

Dann, in der ersten Nacht, ging er vor Siddhāmbikā. Dort zeichnete er ein Maṇḍala und gestaltete es in der Form der Yoni (bhaga) mit neun „Toren“ (Einteilungen).

Word by Word

• प्रथमायाम्: on the first (night)
• प्रथमायाम्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रथमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; 'प्रथमायाम् (तिथौ/रात्रौ)' = on the first (night)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: सम्बन्ध/क्रिया-विशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक/तद्-आधारित अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थे (then/thereafter)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सिद्धाम्बिकापुरः: to the city of Siddhāmbikā
• सिद्धाम्बिकापुरः: कर्म (Karman/Object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धाम्बिका + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सिद्धाम्बिकायाः पुरम्)

• मण्डलम्: a circle/ritual diagram
• मण्डलम्: कर्म (Karman/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); 'having done/made'

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• भगाकारम्: a yoni-shaped form (bhaga-form)
• भगाकारम्: कर्म (Karman/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भगस्य आकारः)

• करात्: from the hand
• करात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Ablative-source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• नव: new
• नव: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddhāmbikā-sthāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night at a Devī shrine: the sādhaka approaches Siddhāmbikā, then draws a yoni-shaped maṇḍala with nine divisions, preparing the ground for a guarded rite.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhāmbikā
• Maṇḍala
• Bhaga-ākāra (yoni form)
• Nine divisions/doors

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred space is ritually established through precise forms; devotion is expressed through careful, rule-bound practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Siddhāmbikā’s precinct in Kāśī is presented as a potent locus for accomplishing vidyā-sādhana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Night-time approach to Siddhāmbikā and the construction of a maṇḍala in bhaga (yoni) form with nine divisions/doors.