Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

सिंहं वाहनमारुह्य ततो देवी मनोजवम् । प्रलयांबुदनिर्घोषं चापमादाय भैरवम्

Transliteration

siṃhaṃ vāhanamāruhya tato devī manojavam | pralayāṃbudanirghoṣaṃ cāpamādāya bhairavam

Translation

Alors la Déesse, montée sur son lion—rapide comme la pensée—saisit son arc redoutable, dont le grondement était tel le tonnerre des nuées au temps de la dissolution.

Word by Word

• सिंहम्: lion
• सिंहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• वाहनम्: vehicle, mount
• वाहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having mounted)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/अनुक्रमवाचक (indeclinable adverb: then/from there)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• मनोजवम्: swift as the mind
• मनोजवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोजव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; adjective)

• प्रलय-अम्बुद-निर्घोषम्: thundering like the deluge-clouds
• प्रलय-अम्बुद-निर्घोषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बुद (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्घोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषभावः (determinative: 'having the roar of the clouds at dissolution')

• चापम्: bow
• चापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having taken)

• भैरवम्: terrible, fearsome
• भैरवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; adjective)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from immediate narrative style; explicit in next adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha (Rāmeśvara region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvija-śreṣṭhas (addressed as ‘dvijottamāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess springs onto a lion, her posture forward-leaning with battle intent; she raises a terrifying bow whose sound is like dissolution-cloud thunder; sky darkens, banners whip, the lion’s mane flares.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Siṃha (lion mount)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power arises to protect dharma; the Goddess’ readiness symbolizes swift, decisive defense of righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukṣetra (Setu/Rāmeśvaram region) as framed by the Setukhaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a martial, narrative description of the Goddess’ preparation for battle.