Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

विद्याविद्ये जये जाप्ये महिषासुरमर्दिनि । सर्वगे सर्वविद्येशे देवि विश्वस्वरूपिणि

Transliteration

vidyāvidye jaye jāpye mahiṣāsuramardini | sarvage sarvavidyeśe devi viśvasvarūpiṇi

Translation

O Göttin — Du bist Wissen und auch die Macht, die es verhüllt; Du bist Sieg und das heilige Japa, das wiederholt wird; Du, Bezwingerin Mahīṣāsuras; allgegenwärtig, Herrin aller Erkenntnisse — o Devī, deren Gestalt das ganze Universum ist!

Word by Word

• विद्याविद्ये: O (goddess as) knowledge and ignorance
• विद्याविद्ये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अविद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (विद्या+अविद्या)

• जये: O Victory
• जये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• जाप्ये: O (one who is) to be recited/muttered
• जाप्ये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; 'जप्य' (to be muttered) अर्थे

• महिषासुरमर्दिनि: O slayer of Mahiṣāsura
• महिषासुरमर्दिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिषासुर (प्रातिपदिक) + मर्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष (महिषासुरस्य मर्दिनी)

• सर्वगे: O all-pervading
• सर्वगे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (सर्वत्र गच्छति/गता)

• सर्वविद्येशे: O mistress of all knowledges
• सर्वविद्येशे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वविद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वविद्यानाम् ईशा)

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

• विश्वस्वरूपिणि: O whose form is the universe
• विश्वस्वरूपिणि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य स्वरूपिणी)

Speaker

Devas (the gods, led by Indra/Mahendra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī is envisioned as cosmic: within her aura appear symbols of knowledge (books, lotus), veiling (a translucent veil), victory (banner), and japa (mālā); she stands as Mahīṣāsuramardinī yet simultaneously as the universe-form.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Mahīṣāsura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devī is both the source of liberating knowledge and the cosmic power behind veiling—she governs victory and the transformative practice of japa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where Devī’s universal form and protective victory are celebrated as part of the kṣetra’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa is invoked as a sacred practice (that which is to be repeated), though no specific mantra or count is provided.