Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

चतुर्भुजे चतुर्वक्त्रे फलदे चत्वरप्रिये । चराचरस्तुते देवि चरणौ प्रणमामि ते

Transliteration

caturbhuje caturvaktre phalade catvarapriye | carācarastute devi caraṇau praṇamāmi te

Translation

O Göttin mit vier Armen und vier Antlitzen, Spenderin der Früchte, Geliebte der heiligen Wegkreuze. O Devī, gepriesen von allem Bewegten und Unbewegten—vor deinen Füßen verneige ich mich.

Word by Word

• चतुर्भुजे: O four-armed (one)
• चतुर्भुजे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (चत्वारो भुजाः यस्याः)

• चतुर्वक्त्रे: O four-faced (one)
• चतुर्वक्त्रे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (चत्वारि वक्त्राणि यस्याः)

• फलदे: O giver of fruits/boons
• फलदे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + द (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; दा (धातु) + क)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; फलानि ददाति इति उपपद-तत्पुरुष

• चत्वरप्रिये: O lover of the crossroads/square
• चत्वरप्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चत्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; चत्वरं प्रियम् यस्याः/चत्वरे प्रिया इति तत्पुरुष

• चराचरस्तुते: O praised by the moving and unmoving (beings)
• चराचरस्तुते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; स्तु (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; चराचरैः स्तुता इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय-पूर्वपद: चर+अचर द्वन्द्ववत्)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• चरणौ: (your) two feet
• चरणौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन

• प्रणमामि: I bow down
• प्रणमामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

Speaker

A Pāṇḍava devotee (as indicated later: 'pāṃḍavena')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Catvara (conceptual junction-tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a four-way crossroads shrine, the four-faced, four-armed Devī stands on a lotus pedestal; devotees and animals alike seem to ‘praise’ her presence as she grants boons.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent surrender at the Goddess’s feet is presented as the proper approach for receiving spiritual and worldly fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it praises the Devi in a general mahātmya-style epithets (including ‘crossroads’ as a sacred locus).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly—this verse functions as stuti (praise) and praṇāma (prostration).