Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3
स शंकरवराद्दैत्यो देवदानवरक्षसाम् । अवध्यो योषितं मुक्त्वा सर्वेषां प्राणिनां भुवि
sa śaṃkaravarāddaityo devadānavarakṣasām | avadhyo yoṣitaṃ muktvā sarveṣāṃ prāṇināṃ bhuvi
Ce démon, par une grâce accordée par Śaṅkara (Śiva), était invincible aux dieux, aux dānavas et aux rākṣasas—oui, à tous les êtres sur la terre—à l’exception d’une femme.
Pulastya
Tirtha: Arbuda
Type: peak
Listener: Ṛṣis/Śaunaka group (typical)
Scene: A formidable asura stands empowered by Śaṅkara’s boon; celestial beings recoil, realizing none can defeat him except a woman—an ominous yet hopeful turning point.
FAQs
Boons and power remain subordinate to divine order; the Devī embodies the dharmic resolution beyond worldly invincibility.
The verse supports the māhātmya of Kātyāyanī’s cave shrine, where her identity as Śumbha’s slayer is celebrated.
None; it establishes the theological premise for Devī’s victory and the sanctity of her abode.