Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

महिषघ्नीं महाकायां ब्रह्मदेवर्षिपूजिताम् । पुरा ये कल्मषोपेता दानवा देवकंटकाः

Transliteration

mahiṣaghnīṃ mahākāyāṃ brahmadevarṣipūjitām | purā ye kalmaṣopetā dānavā devakaṃṭakāḥ

Translation

She is the slayer of Mahīṣa (the buffalo-demon), vast in form, and worshipped by Brahmā, the Devas, and the seers. In former times the Dānavas—stained by sin and a thorn to the Devas—were subdued by her.

Word by Word

• mahiṣa-ghnīm: slayer of the buffalo (demon)
• mahiṣa-ghnīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + ghnī (प्रातिपदिक; √han)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (महिषं हन्ति इति)

• mahā-kāyām: of huge body
• mahā-kāyām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् कायः यस्याः)

• brahma-deva-ṛṣi-pūjitām: worshipped by Brahmā, the gods, and sages
• brahma-deva-ṛṣi-pūjitām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjita (प्रातिपदिक; √pūj + kta)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समाहार/इतरेतर (ब्रह्म-देव-ऋषिभिः पूजिता)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Sambandha (Time/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• kalmaṣa-upetāḥ: tainted with sin/impurity
• kalmaṣa-upetāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kalmaṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + upeta (प्रातिपदिक; upa + √i + kta)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कल्मषेण उपेताः = दोषयुक्ताः)

• dānavāḥ: Dānavas (demons)
• dānavāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• deva-kaṃṭakāḥ: torments/obstacles to the gods
• deva-kaṃṭakāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṃṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां कंटकाः = पीडकाः)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual attribution within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kaṇṭakaśodhinī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Devī appears विशालकाया (vast-bodied), as Mahīṣaghni, with Devas and Ṛṣis offering worship; subdued Dānavas as ‘devakaṇṭaka’ are shown in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devas
• Ṛṣis
• Dānavas
• Devī (Kaṇṭakaśodhinī/Mahiṣaghnī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power (Śakti) removes demonic obstacles and purifies what is stained by sin, establishing protection for dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), where Devī Kaṇṭakaśodhinī is praised as a remover of ‘thorns’ (afflictions).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

This verse is chiefly descriptive; the detailed worship procedure appears in the following verses.