Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

हैमं कलशमादाय शिरसा बिभ्रती स्वयम् । करवालीस्वरूपेण चंडी जाता ततः स्वयम्

Transliteration

haimaṃ kalaśamādāya śirasā bibhratī svayam | karavālīsvarūpeṇa caṃḍī jātā tataḥ svayam

Translation

Prenant un kalaśa d’or et le portant sur sa tête, Caṇḍī elle-même prit alors la forme de Karavālī.

Word by Word

• हैमम्: golden
• हैमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हैम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• कलशम्: pot
• कलशम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund); ‘having taken’

• शिरसा: with/on the head
• शिरसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• बिभ्रती: bearing/carrying
• बिभ्रती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: herself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मन्यर्थे (indeclinable: herself)

• करवालीस्वरूपेण: in the form of a sword
• करवालीस्वरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/Mode/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करवाली (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘करवाली-स्वरूप’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (in the form of a sword)

• चण्डी: Caṇḍī
• चण्डी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• जाता: became
• जाता: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अनन्तरं (thereupon/then)

• स्वयम्: herself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मन्यर्थे (herself)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Caṇḍī lifts a gleaming golden kalaśa and balances it upon her head; in a moment of divine metamorphosis she becomes Karavālī—her form sharpened, ritual-ready, radiant against the Himalayan air.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍī
• Karavālī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power adapts forms for sacred tasks; ritual symbols like the kalaśa signify auspiciousness and consecrated purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedāranātha (Kedārakhaṇḍa context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A kalaśa (consecration-pot) is mentioned as a sacred implement, though the verse does not lay out a full procedure.