Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

या हि प्रकृतिसद्रूपा तडित्कोटिसमप्रभा । विरजा या स्वयं वन्द्या गुणातीताचरत्तपः

Transliteration

yā hi prakṛtisadrūpā taḍitkoṭisamaprabhā | virajā yā svayaṃ vandyā guṇātītācarattapaḥ

Translation

She whose form is akin to primordial Prakṛti, whose splendor equals crores of lightning flashes—stainless, worthy of worship in her own right, and beyond the guṇas—practiced austerity.

Word by Word

• या: she who
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• प्रकृतिसद्रूपा: having the true form of Prakṛti
• प्रकृतिसद्रूपा: Karta (Apposition/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकृति+सद्+रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—प्रकृतिसत् रूपं यस्याः/या (कर्मधारय: ‘true in form as Prakṛti’)

• तडित्कोटिसमप्रभा: whose radiance equals ten million lightnings
• तडित्कोटिसमप्रभा: Karta (Apposition/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तडित्+कोटि+सम+प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तडित्कोट्या समा प्रभा यस्याः (तत्पुरुष)

• विरजा: stainless, free from impurity
• विरजा: Karta (Apposition/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘रजः-रहित’

• या: she who
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: herself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: आत्मनः-प्रयोगवाचक-अव्यय (reflexive adverb: ‘by oneself’)

• वन्द्या: worthy of worship
• वन्द्या: Karta (Apposition/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्द्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गुणातीताऽचरत्तपः: (being) beyond the guṇas, she practiced austerity
• गुणातीताऽचरत्तपः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गुणातीत (प्रातिपदिक) + अचरत् (चर् धातु, लङ्) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सन्धिविग्रहः—गुणातीता + अचरत् + तपः; अचरत्: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; तपः: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (कर्म)

Speaker

Gālava (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vision of the Devi as primordial Nature—her body luminous like countless lightning flashes—yet calm, stainless, and beyond the guṇas; she performs tapas with an aura of pure radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Prakṛti
• Guṇas
• Devī/Pārvatī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Transcendence of the guṇas and purity are upheld as ideals, exemplified through the Devī’s tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger unit is the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya in the Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is presented as a central discipline.