Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अपरा चापि कोलंबा महाशक्तिः सनातनी । कोलरूपी ययाविष्टः केशवश्चोज्जहार गाम्

Transliteration

aparā cāpi kolaṃbā mahāśaktiḥ sanātanī | kolarūpī yayāviṣṭaḥ keśavaścojjahāra gām

Translation

Il en est une autre encore : Kolambā, la Grande Puissance éternelle. Par sa force, Keśava prit la forme du sanglier et releva la Terre.

Word by Word

• aparā: another; the other (fem.)
• aparā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aparā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

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

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; also/indeed)

• kolaṃbā: Kolambā (name of the goddess)
• kolaṃbā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kolaṃbā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• mahāśaktiḥ: the great power (Mahāśakti)
• mahāśaktiḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-śakti (प्रातिपदिक; महा + शक्ति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महती शक्ति)

• sanātanī: eternal
• sanātanī: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanātanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• kolarūpī: having the form of a boar
• kolarūpī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kola-rūpin (प्रातिपदिक; कोल + रूपिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्त्पुरुष-समास (कोलस्य रूपं यस्य)

• yayā: by whom/with which (fem.)
• yayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• āviṣṭaḥ: possessed; entered
• āviṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-viś (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• keśavaḥ: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• keśavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• ujjahāra: took out; lifted out
• ujjahāra: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• gām: the earth
• gām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kolambā/Varāhagiri kṣetra (as implied)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada (contextual addressee appears in v.29)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Keśava as Varāha rises from primordial waters, Earth held aloft on tusks; behind/above, Devī Kolambā as radiant Mahāśakti empowers the act, with Varāhagiri hinted as a sacred backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Kolambā
• Mahāśakti
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• Varāha (boar form)
• Earth (Gā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even Viṣṇu’s avatāra-work is portrayed as Śakti-supported—divine rescue is power united with compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily mythic-theological; a specific tīrtha is not named within this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse establishes Kolambā’s identity and her cosmic role.