Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 153

Devanagari script

शूलेन भेदयामास पृष्ठदेशे सुरेश्वरी । ततः कलेवरात्तस्मान्निश्चक्राम महान्पुमान्

Transliteration

śūlena bhedayāmāsa pṛṣṭhadeśe sureśvarī | tataḥ kalevarāttasmānniścakrāma mahānpumān

Translation

La Souveraine Déesse le perça dans le dos de son trident. Alors, de ce corps sortit un grand être.

Word by Word

• शूलेन: with a spear/trident
• शूलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भेदयामास: pierced, split
• भेदयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु) → भेदय (णिच् causative)
• Form: लिट्-परिप्रयोग (Periphrastic Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• पृष्ठदेशे: on the back region
• पृष्ठदेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठ-देश (प्रातिपदिक; पृष्ठ + देश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुरेश्वरी: the queen/lady of the gods
• सुरेश्वरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + ईश्वरी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (adverb: thereafter)

• कलेवरात्: from the body
• कलेवरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलेवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्मात्: from that (one)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• निश्चक्राम: came out, emerged
• निश्चक्राम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुमान्: a man/person
• पुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Deductive: Purāṇic narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king addressed as ‘pārthiva-śreṣṭha’ in nearby verses (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Surēśvarī stands in battle posture, trident thrust into an asura’s back; from the pierced body a ‘mahān pumān’ emerges, suggesting a secondary figure released or manifested amid shock and dust.

Characters & Entities

• Sureśvarī (Devī)
• Śūla (trident)
• Mahān pumān (emergent figure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the Devī pierces illusion, the concealed reality is forced into the open—truth emerges when māyā is struck by divine insight.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised in this verse; it remains within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.