Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य तत्परीक्षार्थमेव सा । शक्राणीरूपमास्थाय ततः सन्दर्शनं गता

Transliteration

kasyacittvatha kālasya tatparīkṣārthameva sā | śakrāṇīrūpamāsthāya tataḥ sandarśanaṃ gatā

Translation

Dann, zu einer bestimmten Zeit—allein um sie zu prüfen—nahm sie die Gestalt der Śakrāṇī (Indrāṇī) an und ging, um vor ihr zu erscheinen.

Word by Word

• kasya: of some
• kasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्टसम्बन्ध

• cit: some / certain
• cit: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cit (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चितार्थक निपात (indefinite particle)

• tu: indeed / then
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक निपात (but/indeed)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (then/now)

• kālasya: of time
• kālasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध—‘कस्यचित्’ इत्यनेन विशेषित

• tatparīkṣārtham: for the purpose of testing that
• tatparīkṣārtham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + parīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (purpose)

• eva: only / indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis)

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

• śakrāṇīrūpam: the form of Śakrāṇī (Indrāṇī)
• śakrāṇīrūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakrāṇī (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म—‘आस्थाय’

• āsthāya: having assumed
• āsthāya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• tataḥ: then / thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: ततः—अपादान/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (thereupon/from there)

• sandarśanam: a meeting / appearance
• sandarśanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandarśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थक्रियायां कर्म—‘गता’

• gatā: went
• gatā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + gata (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘सा’ इत्यस्य विधेय (predicate)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess, to test the ascetic, takes the radiant form of Śakrāṇī (Indrāṇī): regal attire, celestial ornaments, and a luminous aura, arriving before the weathered yet steadfast maiden in her simple ascetic garb.

Characters & Entities

• Śakrāṇī (Indrāṇī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine may test the devotee’s resolve; spiritual maturity is proven through steadfastness under examination.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is narrative and does not name the tīrtha; it serves the māhātmya’s devotional storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces a parīkṣā (test) via the Goddess assuming a different form.