Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

दाक्षायणी महादेवी चकार विविधास्तदा । क्रीडा विमानमध्यस्ता कन्दुकाद्याः सहस्रशः

Transliteration

dākṣāyaṇī mahādevī cakāra vividhāstadā | krīḍā vimānamadhyastā kandukādyāḥ sahasraśaḥ

Translation

Daraufhin widmete sich Dākṣāyaṇī, die große Göttin, vielerlei Spielen, im Innern des Vimāna sitzend: Ballspiele und andere Zeitvertreibe zu Tausenden.

Word by Word

• दाक्षायणी: Dākṣāyaṇī (Pārvatī)
• दाक्षायणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षायणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; नाम

• महादेवी: the great goddess
• महादेवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देवी (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (महती देवी)

• चकार: did/performed
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (डुकृञ् करणे/धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• विविधाः: various
• विविधाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; 'क्रीडाः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (understood)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• क्रीडाः: sports/games
• क्रीडाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; 'विविधाः' इत्यनेन विशेषिताः

• विमानमध्यस्ता: seated in the middle of the vimāna
• विमानमध्यस्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमान + मध्य + स्थ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past participle used adjectivally) from √स्था (तिष्ठति); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सप्तमी/तत्पुरुषभावः: विमानस्य मध्ये स्थिता

• कन्दुकाद्याः: ball-games and the like
• कन्दुकाद्याः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दुक + आदि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; 'कन्दुक-आदि' = कन्दुकप्रभृतयः (ball-games etc.)

• सहस्रशः: by the thousand; in countless ways
• सहस्रशः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (distributive adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana–Dhārāgṛha vicinity

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a jeweled vimāna hovering over Gandhamādana, Dākṣāyaṇī plays countless games—ball-play and lively pastimes—while sakhīs laugh and move in rhythmic circles, with streams glittering below.

Characters & Entities

• Dākṣāyaṇī (Satī)
• Dakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine līlā (play) is portrayed as effortless sovereignty—yet it also sets the stage for sudden turns of dharma within sacred history.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader scene remains Gandhamādana/Dhārāgṛha within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the goddess’s pastimes.