Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

निश्चला योगिनीमध्ये भूतप्रमथगुह्यकाः । शाकिन्यो यातुधानाश्च कूष्मांडाः कोपिकर्पटाः

Transliteration

niścalā yoginīmadhye bhūtapramathaguhyakāḥ | śākinyo yātudhānāśca kūṣmāṃḍāḥ kopikarpaṭāḥ

Translation

Immobiles au milieu des Yoginīs se tenaient les Bhūtas, les Pramathas et les Guhyakas ; ainsi que les Śākinīs, les Yātudhānas, les Kūṣmāṇḍas et d’autres troupes farouches.

Word by Word

• निश्चलाः: motionless
• निश्चलाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘motionless/steady’ (agreeing with following plurals)

• योगिनीमध्ये: in the midst of the yoginīs
• योगिनीमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी + मध्ये (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (योगिनीनां मध्ये); नपुंसकलिङ्ग ‘मध्य’ शब्दः, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative ‘in the midst of the yoginīs’

• भूतप्रमथगुह्यकाः: bhūtas, pramathas, and guhyakas
• भूतप्रमथगुह्यकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + प्रमथ + गुह्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (भूताः प्रमथाः गुह्यकाः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; a collective listing of beings

• शाकिन्यः: śākinīs
• शाकिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाकिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘śākinīs’

• यातुधानाः: yātudhānas (demons)
• यातुधानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातुधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘demons/ogres’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कूष्माण्डाः: kūṣmāṇḍas
• कूष्माण्डाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूष्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘kūṣmāṇḍas (a class of spirits)’

• कोपिकर्पटाः: kopis and karpaṭas
• कोपिकर्पटाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोपि + कर्पट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (कोपयः कर्पटाः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; names of beings (as a pair/group)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of yoginīs stands poised like a living mandala; among them, ranks of bhūtas, pramathas, guhyakas, śākinīs, yātudhānas, and kūṣmāṇḍas are rendered motionless—fierce forms held in disciplined stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Yoginī
• Bhūta
• Pramatha
• Guhyaka
• Śākinī
• Yātudhāna
• Kūṣmāṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All classes of beings—gentle or fierce—are brought into stillness under Śiva’s order, showing the supremacy of dharma and sacred discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra in the Himalayas, presented as a stage where Śiva’s vast retinue gathers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is descriptive of the assembly surrounding the sacred event.