Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

महिष उवाच । यद्येवं तद्वरारोहे युक्ता स्याच्च कुमारिका । प्रार्थनीया भवेदत्र सर्वेषां प्राणिनां यतः

Transliteration

mahiṣa uvāca | yadyevaṃ tadvarārohe yuktā syācca kumārikā | prārthanīyā bhavedatra sarveṣāṃ prāṇināṃ yataḥ

Translation

Mahiṣa dit : «S’il en est ainsi, ô toi aux hanches gracieuses, il conviendrait que tu sois une jeune vierge, recherchée et implorée ici par tous les êtres vivants».

Word by Word

• महिषः: the buffalo (Mahisha)
• महिषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• एवम्: thus, so
• एवम्: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Deictic/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (as demonstrative)

• वरारोहे: O fair-hipped one / O beautiful lady
• वरारोहे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + आरोह (प्रातिपदिक); सम्बोधन-रूप
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वरस्य आरोहः/आरोहा)

• युक्ता: fit, appropriate
• युक्ता: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमनाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• कुमारिका: the maiden
• कुमारिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रार्थनीया: to be requested, worthy to be asked
• प्रार्थनीया: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमनाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + अर्थ् (धातु) + अनीय (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (to be requested)

• भवेत्: would become / would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (सामान्य), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• यतः: because, since
• यतः: Sambandha (Reason/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal conjunction)

Speaker

Mahiṣa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful buffalo-demon/mahīṣa-like figure addresses a radiant maiden-goddess at a sacred spot; attendants and the aura of a tīrtha surround them, foreshadowing conflict.

Characters & Entities

• Mahiṣa
• Devī
• Prāṇins (living beings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas depict how adharma reframes virtue into an object of craving; discernment protects sacred resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not identified in this verse; it continues the Adhyāya’s narrative within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.