Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

रवेणैव मृतं चक्रे सानुगं स्फुटितहृदम् । ततोवन्ती श्मशानस्था महारावानमुंचत

Transliteration

raveṇaiva mṛtaṃ cakre sānugaṃ sphuṭitahṛdam | tatovantī śmaśānasthā mahārāvānamuṃcata

Translation

Par son seul rugissement, elle le tua, lui et ses partisans, le cœur brisé. Puis, se tenant sur le terrain de crémation, elle poussa un cri puissant et retentissant.

Word by Word

• रवेण: by (her) roar/sound
• रवेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Visheshana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis: indeed/only)

• मृतम्: dead
• मृतम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from मृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘dead’ (object-complement with cakre)

• चक्रे: made
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• स-अनुगम्: together with his followers
• स-अनुगम्: Karma (Object qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अनुग (प्रातिपदिक; अनुग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः ‘सानुगम्’ = ‘अनुगैः सह’ (with followers)

• स्फुटितहृदम्: with a burst heart
• स्फुटितहृदम्: Karma (Object qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फुटित-हृद (प्रातिपदिक; स्फुटित + हृद/हृदय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः (स्फुटितं हृद् यस्य)

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Kala (Sequence/अनन्तर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (thereupon/from that)

• उवन्ती: Uvantī (name/epithet)
• उवन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उवन्ती (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (proper name/epithet)

• श्मशानस्था: standing in the cremation-ground
• श्मशानस्था: Karta (Subject qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्मशान-स्था (प्रातिपदिक; श्मशान + स्था)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः/कृदन्त: ‘श्मशाने स्थिता’

• महारावम्: a great roar
• महारावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-राव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् रावः)

• अमुंचत: released/uttered
• अमुंचत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śmaśāna-sthāna (unnamed)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kālikā kills the enemy and his retinue by roar alone—hearts shattered. She stands in the cremation-ground and releases another mighty cry, shaking the worlds; ash, bones, and spectral ambience surround her.

Characters & Entities

• Kālikā
• Dāruka (implied)
• Followers (anuga)
• Śmaśāna (cremation-ground)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine can dissolve evil instantly; the cremation-ground setting also teaches impermanence and the conquest of fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears; “śmaśāna” is a symbolic sacred space associated with fierce forms of the Goddess.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the imagery supports contemplations on vairāgya (detachment) and protective devotion to the Goddess.