Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

डाकिन्यो यातुधानाश्च प्रेताद्याश्च भयंकराः । शत्रूणां जायते नाशो वशीकरणमेव च

Transliteration

ḍākinyo yātudhānāśca pretādyāśca bhayaṃkarāḥ | śatrūṇāṃ jāyate nāśo vaśīkaraṇameva ca

Translation

Dākinīs, yātudhānas und furchterregende Wesen wie pretas werden bezwungen; Feinde gehen zugrunde, und Herrschaft über feindliche Kräfte wird erlangt.

Word by Word

• ḍākinyaḥ: ḍākinīs (witch-like female spirits)
• ḍākinyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ḍākinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• yātudhānāḥ: yātudhānas (demons/evil beings)
• yātudhānāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātudhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• preta-ādyāḥ: pretas and the like
• preta-ādyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—तत्पुरुष (ādi-प्रत्ययार्थक: ‘beginning with’)

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

• bhayaṃkarāḥ: terrifying
• bhayaṃkarāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhayaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifying the preceding nouns)

• śatrūṇām: of enemies
• śatrūṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• jāyate: arises/occurs
• jāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपद

• nāśaḥ: destruction
• nāśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• vaśīkaraṇam: subjugation/bringing under control
• vaśīkaraṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaśī-karaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (vaśī + karaṇa: ‘making submissive’)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis: indeed/only)

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

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced); describing mantra-phala

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sādhaka stands within a sacred precinct at dusk; shadowy dākinīs, yātudhānas, and pretas recoil as a protective aura forms; enemies fall back, symbolically bound by mantra-power.

Characters & Entities

• Ḍākinī
• Yātudhāna
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine invocation functions as spiritual protection, dissolving fear and hostile influences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned; the verse lists protective outcomes of the practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied continuation of Gaṇapati-mantra practice, whose stated fruits include protection and overcoming adversities.