Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

एषा केलीश्वरीनाम वह्निकुण्डाद्विनिर्गता । एताभिः सह रौद्राभिः स्त्रीभिर्मंत्रबलाश्रयात्

Transliteration

eṣā kelīśvarīnāma vahnikuṇḍādvinirgatā | etābhiḥ saha raudrābhiḥ strībhirmaṃtrabalāśrayāt

Translation

«Celle-ci, nommée Kelīśvarī, est sortie du foyer sacrificiel. Soutenue par la puissance des mantras, elle est venue avec ces farouches femmes Raudra».

Word by Word

• एषा: this (she)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• केलीश्वरी: Kelīśvarī
• केलीश्वरी: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केलीश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — proper name

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle) — “named/called”

• वह्निकुण्डात्: from the fire-pit
• वह्निकुण्डात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — “वह्नेः कुण्डम्” → ablative: “from the fire-pit”

• विनिर्गता: emerged
• विनिर्गता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + निर् + गम् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → विनिर्गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः — “come forth/emerged”

• एताभिः: with these
• एताभिः: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — “with these”

• सह: with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (postposition) — “with”

• रौद्राभिः: fierce
• रौद्राभिः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — “fierce/terrible” (agreeing with स्त्रीभिः)

• स्त्रीभिः: with women
• स्त्रीभिः: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — instrumental plural: “with women”

• मन्त्रबलाश्रयात्: from reliance on mantra-power
• मन्त्रबलाश्रयात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः — “मन्त्रबलस्य आश्रयः” → ablative: “due to/through reliance on mantra-power”

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (addressing Andhaka)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vahni-kuṇḍa (implied)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Andhaka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From a blazing fire-kund rises Kelīśvarī—smoke-wreathed, radiant and fierce—surrounded by a retinue of raudrāḥ striyaḥ (fierce women) formed of mantra-force; flames curl into lotus-like shapes as the host assembles.

Characters & Entities

• Kelīśvarī
• Raudrāḥ (Rudra-aligned śaktis)
• Fire-pit (vahnikuṇḍa)
• Mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra and sacred fire symbolize disciplined spiritual power that manifests as protection when dharma is threatened.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the emphasis is on ritual power (fire-pit and mantra) within the māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references mantra-bala and a fire-pit (vahnikuṇḍa), implying homa-based empowerment, but gives no devotee-facing procedure.