Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

भक्तिग्राह्यासि देवेशि त्वमेका भुवनत्रये । शरणागतदीनार्तपरित्राणपरायणे

Transliteration

bhaktigrāhyāsi deveśi tvamekā bhuvanatraye | śaraṇāgatadīnārtaparitrāṇaparāyaṇe

Translation

O erhabene Göttin, allein durch Bhakti wirst Du erlangt; Du bist die Eine in den drei Welten—stets darauf bedacht, die Zuflucht Suchenden, die Armen und die Bedrängten zu beschützen.

Word by Word

• bhakti-grāhyā: attainable only through devotion
• bhakti-grāhyā: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + grāhya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √grah ‘to grasp’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थः (भक्त्या ग्राह्या) — ‘devī’ विशेषणम्

• asi: are
• asi: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; ‘असि’ = you are

• deveśi: O Goddess, ruler of the gods
• deveśi: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deveśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ‘देवेशि’ = हे देवेशि (O Lady of the gods)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ekā: one/unique
• ekā: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• bhuvana-traye: in the three worlds
• bhuvana-traye: Adhikarana (Location/Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuvana (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि भुवनानि) — locative singular

• śaraṇa-āgata-dīna-ārta-paritrāṇa-parāyaṇe: O one devoted to protecting the helpless and afflicted who seek refuge
• śaraṇa-āgata-dīna-ārta-paritrāṇa-parāyaṇe: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + āgata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √gam) + dīna (प्रातिपदिक) + ārta (प्रातिपदिक) + paritrāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (शरणागतानां दीनार्तानां परित्राणे परायणः/परायणा) — vocative epithet

Speaker

Mahīpati (king) offering a stuti to Goddess Bhāratī/Sarasvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, humbled, offers total surrender before the Devī; the goddess is depicted as compassionate sovereign, extending protection to the distressed gathered at the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Bhāratī/Sarasvatī)
• Three worlds (bhuvanatraya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion and surrender are the sure means to divine grace, especially for those in distress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The stuti is embedded in a Sarasvatī tīrtha māhātmya of Nāgarakhaṇḍa, where refuge-seeking worship is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) expressed through bhakti-filled praise and worship.