Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

एवं देवि समाख्यातं महाकालीमहोदयम् । क्षेत्रपीठं महादेवि मन्त्रसिद्धिप्रदायकम्

Transliteration

evaṃ devi samākhyātaṃ mahākālīmahodayam | kṣetrapīṭhaṃ mahādevi mantrasiddhipradāyakam

Translation

So, o Göttin, ist das große Hervortreten der Mahākālī dargelegt worden. Dies ist der heilige Sitz im geweihten Feld, o Mahādevī, der Erfolg in der Mantra-Praxis verleiht.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: “thus/in this manner”)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• समाख्यातम्: has been described
• समाख्यातम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; “(has been) declared/told”

• महाकालीमहोदयम्: the great manifestation/glory of Mahākālī
• महाकालीमहोदयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाली (प्रातिपदिक) + महोदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्देश-तत्पुरुष: “महाकाल्याः महोदयः”); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः; द्वितीया, एकवचन (object/apposition to समाख्यातम्)

• क्षेत्रपीठम्: the sacred seat of the kṣetra
• क्षेत्रपीठम्: Karma (Object/Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष: “क्षेत्रस्य पीठम्”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समाख्यातम् इत्यस्य विशेष्य/अप्पोजिशन

• महादेवि: O great Goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• मन्त्रसिद्धिप्रदायकम्: bestowing mantra-accomplishment
• मन्त्रसिद्धिप्रदायकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष: “मन्त्रसिद्धेः प्रदायकम्/मन्त्रसिद्धिं प्रददाति”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्षेत्रपीठम्/महाकालीमहोदयम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (addressing Devī as listener in this segment)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākālī-pīṭha (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Mahādevī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Revelation of the Mahākālī ‘seat’ inside the holy field: a sanctum or raised platform (pīṭha) radiating power; sādhakas approach for mantra-siddhi.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākālī
• Devī
• Mahādevī
• Kṣetra-pīṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography (kṣetra) is not merely symbolic—specific pīṭhas are portrayed as spiritually potent, supporting mantra-discipline and inner attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Mahākālī-related kṣetra-pīṭha within Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No step-by-step rite here; it highlights the fruit: mantra-siddhi obtained through practice connected to this pīṭha.