Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

नानावाहनमारूढा नानारूपधरा च सा । नानाकोपसमायुक्ता नानाभयविना शिनी

Transliteration

nānāvāhanamārūḍhā nānārūpadharā ca sā | nānākopasamāyuktā nānābhayavinā śinī

Translation

Elle montait sur maintes montures et revêtait aussi de multiples formes. Pourvue de diverses ardeurs de colère sacrée, elle détruisait bien des sortes de peur.

Word by Word

• नाना: various
• नाना: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nānā (अव्यय)
• Form: विविधार्थक अव्यय (various)

• वाहनमारूढा: mounted on (various) vehicles
• वाहनमारूढा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāhana+ārūḍha (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—वाहने आरूढा (mounted on a vehicle); आरूढ (PPP of √ruh with ā-)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nānā (अव्यय)
• Form: विविधार्थक अव्यय (various)

• रूपधरा: bearing forms
• रूपधरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rūpa+dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—रूपं धरतीति (form-bearing)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नाना: various
• नाना: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nānā (अव्यय)
• Form: विविधार्थक अव्यय (various)

• कोपसमायुक्ता: endowed with anger
• कोपसमायुक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kopa+samāyukta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कोपेन समायुक्ता (endowed with anger); समायुक्त (PPP of √yuj with sam-ā-)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nānā (अव्यय)
• Form: विविधार्थक अव्यय (various)

• अभयविनाशिनी: destroyer/remover of fears
• अभयविनाशिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhaya+vināśinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—अभयस्य विनाशिनी (destroyer/remover of fearlessness?; in context: remover of fears—often ‘भयविनाशिनी’); विनाशिनी = agent noun from √naś with vi-

Speaker

Deductive (Dharmāraṇya narrative frame): Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dynamic montage of the goddess: shifting forms, changing mounts, expressions ranging from serene to wrathful, as she dispels different fears—wild beasts, asuras, darkness, disease—around forest hermitages.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (protective Śakti)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The one Devī adapts into many forms to protect beings, transforming fear into refuge through divine power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, where Devī’s multi-form guardianship is celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, highlighting Devī’s protective attributes.