Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा तदा देवी गिरिजा सर्वमंगला । शबरीरूपमास्थाय गंतुकामा महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

evamuktvā tadā devī girijā sarvamaṃgalā | śabarīrūpamāsthāya gaṃtukāmā maheśvaram

Translation

Ayant ainsi parlé, la Déesse Girijā—toute de bon augure—prit la forme d’une Śabarī (femme des forêts) et, désireuse de partir, se mit en route vers Maheśvara.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वच् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

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

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गिरिजा: Girijā (daughter of the mountain)
• गिरिजा: Karta (Appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गिरेः जा)

• सर्वमङ्गला: all-auspicious
• सर्वमङ्गला: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of devī/girijā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सर्वा मङ्गला)

• शबरीरूपम्: the form of a Śabarī (tribal woman)
• शबरीरूपम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शबरी + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शबर्याः रूपम्)

• आस्थाय: having assumed, taking up
• आस्थाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• गन्तुकामा: desiring to go
• गन्तुकामा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of devī)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गन्तु (गम्-धातोः तुमुन्) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (गन्तुं कामा)

• महेश्वरम्: Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; traditionally Sūta to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra approaches (vanapatha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of tīrtha-mahātmya (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After speaking, Girijā—radiant yet intent—takes on the guise of a Śabarī (forest-woman) and sets out through the woods toward Maheśvara, accompanied by auspicious energy.

Characters & Entities

• Girijā (Pārvatī)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Śabarī-rūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess uses līlā (divine strategy) to approach the Lord—teaching that the divine can adopt any form to accomplish cosmic purposes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa, associated with the Kedāra sacred region and its Śaiva pilgrimage tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.