Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

चंडिका वरभगिनी तदा जाता भयावहा । प्रेतासना गता चण्डी सर्पाभरणभूषिता

Transliteration

caṃḍikā varabhaginī tadā jātā bhayāvahā | pretāsanā gatā caṇḍī sarpābharaṇabhūṣitā

Translation

Alors se manifesta Caṇḍikā, la sœur bénie par la grâce, redoutable et terrifiante. Cette Caṇḍī s’avança, assise sur un cadavre, parée d’ornements de serpents.

Word by Word

• चण्डिका: Caṇḍikā
• चण्डिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वरभगिनी: the excellent sister
• वरभगिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-भगिनी (प्रातिपदिक; वर + भगिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषणभावे समास (excellent sister)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• जाता: born/appeared
• जाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु √जन्; क्त/क्तप्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भयावहा: bringing fear
• भयावहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय-आवह (प्रातिपदिक; भय + आवह)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्रेतासना: having a preta as her seat
• प्रेतासना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेत-आसन (प्रातिपदिक; प्रेत + आसन)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (one whose seat is a preta)

• गता: gone/advanced
• गता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु √गम्; क्त/क्तप्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• चण्डी: Caṇḍī
• चण्डी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्पाभरणभूषिता: adorned with serpent-ornaments
• सर्पाभरणभूषिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्प-आभरण-भूषित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; सर्प + आभरण + भूषित)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP of √भूष्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Caṇḍikā manifests suddenly—terrifying yet regal—seated on a corpse, wearing serpents as ornaments; her presence darkens the air with awe, as attendants gather around her.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍikā (Caṇḍī)
• Serpent ornaments

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The fierce form of Devī protects dharma—what appears terrifying is a guardian power aligned with Śiva’s cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Himalayan sacred sphere, where Śiva and his śakti-retinue are praised in tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a descriptive dhyāna-style portrayal of Caṇḍī’s iconography.