Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

बालवेषां च तन्वंगीं बालशीतांशुशेखराम् । पाशांकुशवराभीतिं बिभ्रतीं च चतुर्भुजाम्

Transliteration

bālaveṣāṃ ca tanvaṃgīṃ bālaśītāṃśuśekharām | pāśāṃkuśavarābhītiṃ bibhratīṃ ca caturbhujām

Translation

And the Goddess—youthful in appearance, slender-limbed, crowned with the tender crescent moon—four-armed, bearing a noose and a goad, and displaying boon-giving and fearlessness.

Word by Word

• बालवेषाम्: in a childlike attire
• बालवेषाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + वेषा/वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तन्वङ्गीम्: slender-limbed
• तन्वङ्गीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिसमासः, विशेषणम् (one whose limbs are slender)

• बालशीतांशुशेखराम्: with the young moon as her crest
• बालशीतांशुशेखराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + शीतांशु (प्रातिपदिक) + शेखरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिसमासः, विशेषणम् (having the young moon as crest)

• पाशाङ्कुशवराभीतिम्: the noose, goad, boon, and fearlessness (gesture)
• पाशाङ्कुशवराभीतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाश (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक) + अभीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (समाहार/समुच्चय), ‘पाश-अङ्कुश-वर-अभीति’ इति धारणीयवस्तुसमूहः

• बिभ्रतीम्: bearing/holding
• बिभ्रतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भृ (धातु; भृञ् धारणे)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘धारयन्ती’ इत्यर्थः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चतुर्भुजाम्: four-armed
• चतुर्भुजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिसमासः, विशेषणम् (having four arms)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youthful, slender Devī with a tender crescent moon on her crown, four-armed: holding pāśa and aṅkuśa, with the other hands in varada and abhaya mudrās; her expression gentle yet sovereign.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī (Devī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devī is both compassionate and disciplining: she grants boons and fearlessness while guiding beings through restraint (pāśa) and right direction (aṅkuśa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is stated; this is a universal dhyāna-form for Devī worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation on Devī’s youthful form, crescent-moon crest, four arms, and her emblems and mudrās.