Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

खड्गचर्मधरादेवी सुरूपा सिंहवाहिनी । मर्द्दयन्ती महादैत्यान्देवीकोटिसमन्विता

Transliteration

khaḍgacarmadharādevī surūpā siṃhavāhinī | marddayantī mahādaityāndevīkoṭisamanvitā

Translation

Diese Göttin, Schwert und Schild tragend, von schöner Gestalt, auf einem Löwen reitend, zerschmetterte die großen Dānavas, begleitet von Millionen von Göttinnen.

Word by Word

• खड्गचर्मधरादेवी: the goddess bearing sword and shield
• खड्गचर्मधरादेवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग + चर्म + धरā + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-समासः (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः): ‘खड्गं च चर्म च धरती या सा देवी’

• सुरूपा: beautiful
• सुरूपा: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (देव्याः)

• सिंहवाहिनी: lion-mounted
• सिंहवाहिनी: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिंह + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘सिंहः वाहनं यस्याः’ इत्यर्थे (समास-प्रयोगः)

• मर्दयन्ती: crushing; slaying
• मर्दयन्ती: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मर्द् (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• महादैत्यान्: great demons
• महादैत्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

• देवीकोटिसमन्विता: accompanied by crores of goddesses
• देवीकोटिसमन्विता: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवी + कोटि + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘देवीकोट्या समन्विता’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपदसमासः; विशेषणम् (देव्याः)

Speaker

Śiva (implied, addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (ṛṣis/śaunaka-type assembly typical of purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Devī, sword and shield raised, seated upon a roaring lion, surrounded by countless attendant goddesses, crushing towering daityas amid dust, conch-sounds, and sea-wind from the Prabhāsa coast.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Ajā/Śakti)
• Daityas
• Siṃha (lion)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine beauty and divine power coexist; śakti protects the world by subduing adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the narrative anchors the goddess’ victorious presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the emphasis is on the goddess’ protective intervention.