Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

प्रस्थिता पुरतस्तस्य भवसैन्यस्य हर्षिता । सर्वैर्मातृगणैः सार्धं रौद्रारावैःसुभीषणैः

Transliteration

prasthitā puratastasya bhavasainyasya harṣitā | sarvairmātṛgaṇaiḥ sārdhaṃ raudrārāvaiḥsubhīṣaṇaiḥ

Translation

Dans la joie, elle s’avança devant l’armée de Bhava, avec toutes les cohortes des Mères, poussant des cris de guerre farouches et terrifiants.

Word by Word

• प्रस्थिता: having set out / departed
• प्रस्थिता: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु) → प्रस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः; भूतकृदन्तः (past active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पुरतः: in front
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb: 'in front')

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (genitive), एकवचनम् (singular)

• भव-सैन्यस्य: of Bhava's army
• भव-सैन्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः (neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (genitive), एकवचनम् (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ('army of Bhava/Śiva')

• हर्षिता: delighted
• हर्षिता: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हर्षित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त/विशेषण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• सर्वैः: with all
• सर्वैः: Karana (Instrument/सहकारि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• मातृ-गणैः: with the groups of Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृ-गणैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), बहुवचनम् (plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ('group of mothers')

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; सहार्थक-अव्ययम् (comitative: 'together with')

• रौद्र-आरावैः: with fierce cries
• रौद्र-आरावैः: Karana (Accompaniment/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आराव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), बहुवचनम् (plural); कर्मधारयः ('fierce roars/cries')

• सु-भीषणैः: very terrifying
• सु-भीषणैः: Karana (Qualifier of cries/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), बहुवचनम् (plural); उपसर्गपूर्वक-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (continuing the account after Śiva’s speech)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kelīśvarī leads, radiant and fierce, before Bhava’s army; behind her surge the Mātṛgaṇas, filling space with terrifying raudra-cries—an advancing wall of divine feminine power.

Characters & Entities

• Kelīśvarī (Goddess)
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Bhavasainya (Śiva’s army)
• Mātṛgaṇa (Mātṛkās)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine Feminine is depicted as an active protector, leading sacred forces; dharma is upheld through coordinated divine power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a tīrtha-glorification section (Tīrthamāhātmya), but this line is narrative (battle-march) rather than direct geographical praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the Goddess and Mātṛkās proceeding to the battlefield.