Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

तृतीयेशानकोणस्था चंडिका नवमी स्थिता । वागीशोऽपि लभेत्पारं नैव यस्याः प्रवर्णने

Transliteration

tṛtīyeśānakoṇasthā caṃḍikā navamī sthitā | vāgīśo'pi labhetpāraṃ naiva yasyāḥ pravarṇane

Translation

The third goddess, Caṇḍikā, abides in the Īśāna corner and is established as the Ninth (Navamī). Even the lord of speech cannot reach the end of describing her.

Word by Word

• tṛtīya: third
• tṛtīya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛtīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन ("third")

• īśāna: Īśāna (northeast)
• īśāna: Sambandha (Specifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; दिक्पाल/शिव-नाम; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन

• koṇa: corner
• koṇa: Sambandha (Specifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन ("corner")

• sthā: situated
• sthā: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; स्थानवाचक-विशेषण ("standing/located")

• caṃḍikā: Caṇḍikā
• caṃḍikā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṃḍikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• navamī: ninth
• navamī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: navamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण ("ninth")

• sthitā: is placed/abides
• sthitā: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृत्—क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातु: स्था (स्थितौ)

• vākīśaḥ: the lord of speech (Bṛhaspati)
• vākīśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāk + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ("lord of speech")

• api: even; also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि=even/also

• labhet: could obtain
• labhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातु: लभ् (प्राप्तौ)

• pāram: the far shore; limit/end
• pāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• eva: indeed; at all
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• yasyāḥ: of whom; whose
• yasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे ("of whom/whose")

• pravarṇane: in the description
• pravarṇane: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pravarṇana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; भाववाचक ("in describing")

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), contextually narrating to sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Harasiddhi (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Caṇḍikā as the ‘third’ manifestation is shown stationed in the northeast corner of a sacred diagram/temple, associated with Navamī; sages attempt praise, but the aura suggests infinite, unending glory.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍikā
• Īśāna (northeast direction)
• Vāgīśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Devī’s greatness surpasses speech; devotion is grounded in reverence for the infinite divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific tirtha-name is not explicit in this verse; it continues the chapter’s mapping of Devī-forms and their sacred placements.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied Navamī-oriented worship of Caṇḍikā and reverential stuti (praise), though no step-by-step rite is stated.