Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अवतीर्णा तदा सैव चामुंडा रूपमाश्रिता । प्रोद्गते कालयवने सर्वदेवभयावहे

Transliteration

avatīrṇā tadā saiva cāmuṃḍā rūpamāśritā | prodgate kālayavane sarvadevabhayāvahe

Translation

Da stieg sie selbst erneut herab und nahm die Gestalt der Cāmuṇḍā an, als Kālayavana aufstieg und allen Göttern Schrecken brachte.

Word by Word

• avatīrṇā: descended
• avatīrṇā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ava√tṝ (धातु) → avatīrṇa (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• cāmuṇḍā: Cāmuṇḍā
• cāmuṇḍā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāmuṇḍā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम

• rūpam: form
• rūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• āśritā: having assumed/taken refuge in
• āśritā: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√śri (धातु) → āśrita (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-प्रयोगः (having assumed)

• prodgate: when (he) had arisen
• prodgate: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra√ud√gam (धातु) → prodgata (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• kālayavane: in/at Kālayavana
• kālayavane: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla-yavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (kālaḥ eva yavanaḥ)

• sarvadevabhayāvahe: (in the one) bringing fear to all gods
• sarvadevabhayāvahe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + āvaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (sarveṣāṃ devānāṃ bhayam āvahati iti)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: As Kālayavana rises, terrifying the gods, the Goddess descends as Cāmuṇḍā—dark, fierce, and protective—turning cosmic dread into decisive defense.

Characters & Entities

• Cāmuṇḍā
• Kālayavana
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The fierce forms of Devī arise as compassionate protection—power tailored to the crisis that threatens Dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Not specified; the verse contributes to the Mahātmya atmosphere that later anchors Devī worship in a particular locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it implies the legitimacy of worshiping Devī in both gentle and fierce forms.