Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

देव्या आराधने यत्नं कृतवत्यौ ततः परम् । नाशार्थं पतिशत्रूणां धृतवत्यौ शुभव्रतम्

Transliteration

devyā ārādhane yatnaṃ kṛtavatyau tataḥ param | nāśārthaṃ patiśatrūṇāṃ dhṛtavatyau śubhavratam

Translation

Ensuite, toutes deux s’appliquèrent avec ardeur au culte de la Déesse; et, pour anéantir les ennemis de leur époux, elles prirent un vœu saint et propice.

Word by Word

• devyāḥ: of the Goddess
• devyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ārādhane: in worship
• ārādhane: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārādhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• yatnam: effort
• yatnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• kṛtavatyau: the two (women) performed/made
• kṛtavatyau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) (कृदन्त: क्तवतु/क्तवती)
• Form: क्तवती-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (perfect participle active); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; अर्थः ‘कृतवत्यौ’ (the two did/made)

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Temporal (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘तस्मात्/ततः’

• param: further/after that
• param: Temporal (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative) ‘परम्’ = further/afterwards

• nāśa-artham: for the destruction
• nāśa-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśa + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘नाशस्य अर्थः’ (purpose of destruction)

• pati-śatrūṇām: of (their) husbands’ enemies
• pati-śatrūṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati + śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘पतेः शत्रवः’

• dhṛtavatyau: the two undertook/observed
• dhṛtavatyau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धृ धातु) (कृदन्त: क्तवती)
• Form: क्तवती-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; अर्थः ‘धृतवत्यौ’ (the two undertook/observed)

• śubha-vratam: a holy vow
• śubha-vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śubha + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘शुभं व्रतम्’

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara (as kṣetra setting for Devī-ārādhana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ambā and Vṛddhā perform Devī worship: a lamp-lit altar with flowers, red cloth, and offerings; they stand or kneel in vow-observance, faces resolute, hands in añjali, with a subtle fierce Devī presence behind the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Devī (Goddess)
• Ambā (implied)
• Vṛddhā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vrata and devotion channel grief and anger into disciplined worship, aligning personal aims with divine justice under dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The vow and worship occur in the chapter’s Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra setting, where the goddess’s power is sought.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devī-ārādhana (goddess worship) accompanied by a śubha-vrata (holy vow) undertaken for a specific intention.