Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अवध्यः सर्वभूतानां मानुषाणां विशेषतः । मुक्त्वैकां योषितं तेन त्वमस्माभिर्विनिर्मिता

Transliteration

avadhyaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ mānuṣāṇāṃ viśeṣataḥ | muktvaikāṃ yoṣitaṃ tena tvamasmābhirvinirmitā

Translation

ಅವನು ಸಮಸ್ತ ಭೂತಗಳಿಗೆ—ವಿಶೇಷವಾಗಿ ಮಾನವರಿಗೆ—ಅವಧ್ಯನು. ಒಂದೇ ಸ್ತ್ರೀಯನ್ನು ಹೊರತುಪಡಿಸಿ ಅವನನ್ನು ಸಂಹರಿಸಲಾಗದು; ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ನಾವು ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿದ್ದೇವೆ.

Word by Word

• अवध्यः: invulnerable / not to be slain
• अवध्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-भूत (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + भूत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (of whom)

• मानुषाणाम्: of humans
• मानुषाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय; विशेष + तस्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• मुक्त्वा: having left/excepting
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having released/excepting’

• एकाम्: one (single)
• एकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• योषितम्: a woman
• योषितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• तेन: by him/therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• विनिर्मिता: made/created
• विनिर्मिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-निर्मा (धातु) / विनिर्मित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (predicate)

Speaker

Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of gods reveals the enemy’s boon: invincible to beings, especially men, except for one woman; the gods ‘fashion’/resolve the emergence of a feminine slayer as the destined remedy.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Mahiṣa (Dānava)
• Kātyāyanī (Devī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma’s seeming invincibility is limited; divine justice arises precisely through the ‘exception’ that restores balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is mythic rationale within the Tīrtha-māhātmya frame; the Vindhya setting becomes explicit immediately afterward.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it explains the boon-condition that necessitates the Goddess’s manifestation.