Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तपः कृत्वा सुविपुलमृषिभिः स्थापितः शिवः । तथा कोटीश्वरी देवी चामुण्डा महिषार्दिनी

Transliteration

tapaḥ kṛtvā suvipulamṛṣibhiḥ sthāpitaḥ śivaḥ | tathā koṭīśvarī devī cāmuṇḍā mahiṣārdinī

Translation

Après avoir accompli d’immenses austérités, les ṛṣi y établirent Śiva ; et de même la Déesse Koṭīśvarī, Cāmuṇḍā, celle qui terrasse le démon-Buffle (Mahiṣa).

Word by Word

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having done’

• सुविपुलम्: very great; abundant
• सुविपुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुविपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying तपः)

• ऋषिभिः: by sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्थापितः: was established
• स्थापितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (शिवः इति कर्तृपदेन सह)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: likewise; also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/उपमानार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: likewise/also)

• कोटीश्वरी: Koṭīśvarī (goddess)
• कोटीश्वरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कोट्याः ईश्वरी)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कोटीश्वरी इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन (apposition)

• चामुण्डा: Cāmuṇḍā
• चामुण्डा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चामुण्डा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• महिषार्दिनी: slayer of the buffalo(-demon)
• महिषार्दिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्दिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying चामुण्डा); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महिषस्य अर्दिनी)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭitīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages after immense austerities consecrate a Śiva-liṅga and a fierce-protective Devī form—Koṭīśvarī as Cāmuṇḍā/Mahiṣāsuramardinī—near the river ford, with ritual fires, water pots, and mantra recitation.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Koṭīśvarī Devī
• Cāmuṇḍā
• Mahiṣāsuramardinī
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas empowers sages to consecrate spaces: sacred geography is created and sustained through austerity and deity-installation for loka-saṅgraha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Koṭitīrtha, where Śiva and the goddess Koṭīśvarī (Cāmuṇḍā) are said to be established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse emphasizes tapas and sthāpana (installation) of deities—Śiva and Devī—as the sanctifying acts associated with the tīrtha.