Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

दक्षिणस्यां तथा तारा संस्थिता स्थापिता मया । तारणार्थाय देवानां यस्मात्कूर्मं समाश्रिता

Transliteration

dakṣiṇasyāṃ tathā tārā saṃsthitā sthāpitā mayā | tāraṇārthāya devānāṃ yasmātkūrmaṃ samāśritā

Translation

Likewise, in the southern quarter, Tārā was installed—set there by me—because, for the deliverance of the gods, she took refuge in (and empowered) Kūrma.

Word by Word

• दक्षिणस्याम्: in the south (direction)
• दक्षिणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तारा: Tārā (name)
• तारा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• संस्थिता: is stationed; has stood
• संस्थिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्थित’ अर्थे

• स्थापिता: was established/placed
• स्थापिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana/Agent (Instrument/कर्ता-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• तारणार्थाय: for the purpose of saving
• तारणार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारण + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (purpose: ‘for the sake of deliverance’); पुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• यस्मात्: because; from which reason
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतु/कारणार्थे (ablative of cause)

• कूर्मम्: the tortoise (Kūrma)
• कूर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• समाश्रिता: has taken refuge in; has resorted to
• समाश्रिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आश्रित’ अर्थे

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating (first-person quotation preserved in the passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tārā-sthāna (Dakṣiṇa-diś pīṭha motif)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A southern-quarter shrine-seat where Devī Tārā is ritually installed; behind her, the cosmic Kūrma (tortoise) as a stabilizing refuge; devas in supplication seeking deliverance.

Characters & Entities

• Tārā
• Devas
• Kūrma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess functions as a savior-power (tārā) who protects divine order by empowering avatāric supports like Kūrma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A directional sacred-guardianship theme is presented; no named tīrtha appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; it narrates the स्थापना (installation) and protective purpose.