Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

एषा सा परमा शक्तिर्यया व्याप्तमिदं जगत् । केवलं भक्तिसाध्या सा न दण्डेन कथंचन

Transliteration

eṣā sā paramā śaktiryayā vyāptamidaṃ jagat | kevalaṃ bhaktisādhyā sā na daṇḍena kathaṃcana

Translation

Elle est la Śakti suprême par qui ce monde entier est pénétré. On ne l’atteint que par la dévotion, jamais par la contrainte ni par la force du châtiment.

Word by Word

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

• सा: that (same she)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; (appositional)

• परमा: supreme
• परमा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; (superlative sense: ‘supreme’)

• शक्तिः: power, energy
• शक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यया: by which
• यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; (Instrumental singular: ‘by which’)

• व्याप्तम्: pervaded
• व्याप्तम्: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → व्याप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (predicate with जगत्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (demonstrative)

• जगत्: world, universe
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (Nominative singular as subject of ‘is pervaded’)

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘only/merely’)

• भक्तिसाध्या: attainable by devotion
• भक्तिसाध्या: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + साध्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष: भक्त्या साध्या); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; (predicate adjective of सा)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• दण्डेन: by force, by punishment
• दण्डेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; (Instrumental singular)

• कथंचन: in any way (at all)
• कथंचन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक/निषेधसहचर (adverb: ‘in any way/at all’)

Speaker

Śukra (Bhārgava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dānava-ādhipa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A doctrinal revelation: Devī as the all-pervading supreme power; Śukra’s statement contrasts bhakti with daṇḍa (force), showing the Dānava’s shift from domination to devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Paramā Śakti
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is universal and supreme, yet approachable only through sincere devotion—dharma cannot be replaced by domination.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though philosophical, it is embedded in Kelīśvarī Devī’s tīrtha-māhātmya, implying the place’s role in cultivating bhakti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is principled rather than procedural: cultivate bhakti; do not rely on force or intimidation in spiritual pursuit.