Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

भयंकरी च चक्रांगी तीर्थनेमिश्च माधवी । गीतप्रिया अलाताक्षी चटुला शलभामुखी

Transliteration

bhayaṃkarī ca cakrāṃgī tīrthanemiśca mādhavī | gītapriyā alātākṣī caṭulā śalabhāmukhī

Translation

“Dan (ada pula) Bhayaṃkarī, yang menggetarkan; Cakrāṃgī, bertanda cakra; Tīrthanemi; Mādhavī; Gītapriyā, pecinta kidung suci; Alātākṣī, bermata menyala; Caṭulā, yang lincah; serta Śalabhāmukhī, yang berwajah seperti ngengat/belalang.”

Word by Word

• भयंकरी: Fear-causing (Bhayaṃkarī)
• भयंकरी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + करी (कृ धातु, णिनि/कर्तृवाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भयं करोति या = ‘she who causes fear’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• चक्रांगी: Cakrāṅgī (wheel/discus-limbed)
• चक्रांगी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (चक्राणि अङ्गानि/अङ्गे यस्याः सा; or ‘having a discus/with wheel-marked limbs’)

• तीर्थनेमिः: Tīrthanemi
• तीर्थनेमिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + नेमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य नेमिः/नेमिरिव = ‘whose rim/circumference is sacred ford’; name)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• माधवी: Mādhavī
• माधवी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; नाम

• गीतप्रिया: Fond of songs (Gītapriyā)
• गीतप्रिया: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गीतं प्रियं यस्याः सा = ‘fond of song’)

• अलाताक्षी: Torch-eyed (Alātākṣī)
• अलाताक्षी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलात (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षी/अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (अलातवत् अक्षिणी यस्याः सा = ‘torch/firebrand-eyed’)

• चटुला: restless, lively (Caṭulā)
• चटुला: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चटुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण/नामरूपेण

• शलभामुखी: Śalabhāmukhī
• शलभामुखी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शलभ (प्रातिपदिक) + मुखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (शलभवत् मुखं यस्याः सा = ‘moth/locust-faced’; name)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Another set of named Mothers: Bhayaṃkarī (fierce), Cakrāṃgī (with discus-mark), Tīrthanemi (tirtha-axis guardian), Mādhavī (springlike/auspicious), Gītapriyā (devoted to sacred song), Alātākṣī (torch-eyed), Caṭulā (lively), Śalabhāmukhī (moth/locust-faced).

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛs (Mother-goddesses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Mother’s protection includes both gentle and fierce aspects; remembering her names affirms her all-encompassing guardianship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is praised; the name ‘Tīrthanemi’ functions as an epithet within the goddess-list.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the passage functions as a devotional enumeration (nāma-saṅgraha).