Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ततस्ते तत्समालोक्य बलं देवीसमुद्रवम् । रौद्र रूपधरं तीव्रं विकृतं विकृतैर्मुखैः

Transliteration

tataste tatsamālokya balaṃ devīsamudravam | raudra rūpadharaṃ tīvraṃ vikṛtaṃ vikṛtairmukhaiḥ

Translation

Da erblickten sie, als sie das heranstürmende Heer der Göttinnen wie ein Meer sahen, eine wilde, überaus heftige Macht—schrecklich an Gestalt—entstellt durch grotesk verzerrte Gesichter.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/अनन्तरार्थे (adverb: then/from there)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समालोक्य: having seen
• समालोक्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √लोक् (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/ल्यप्); अर्थः—दृष्ट्वा (having seen)

• बलम्: army/force
• बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• देवीसमुद्रवम्: raised/impelled by the Goddess
• देवीसमुद्रवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवी + समुद्रव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (देव्याः समुद्रवम्/देवीसमुद्भवम्—पाठार्थे ‘devised/raised by the Goddess’)

• रौद्रम्: fierce
• रौद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (बलम् इति विशेष्य)

• रूपधरम्: having a form/appearance
• रूपधरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप + धर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘धर’ from √धृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (रूपं धरति इति)

• तीव्रम्: intense
• तीव्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• विकृतम्: distorted
• विकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + √कृ (धातु) + क्त
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; विशेषणम्

• विकृतैः: with distorted
• विकृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + √कृ (धातु) + क्त
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम्

• मुखैः: faces
• मुखैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; specific speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Kāla-Yavanas look up and behold a surging, ocean-like rush of goddesses—fierce, intense, with grotesque faces—an overwhelming wave of divine power bearing down upon them.

Characters & Entities

• Devīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine may appear fearsome when confronting adharma; wrathful forms are compassionate protection in action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader unit is Tīrthamāhātmya in Nāgarakhaṇḍa; this verse does not specify the site-name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a depiction of the divine host’s appearance and impact.