Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

मुक्तकेशी विशालाक्षी कृशग्रीवा कृशोदरी । व्याघ्रचर्माम्बरधरा व्यालयज्ञोपवीतिनी

Transliteration

muktakeśī viśālākṣī kṛśagrīvā kṛśodarī | vyāghracarmāmbaradharā vyālayajñopavītinī

Translation

അവൾ മുക്തകേശി, വിശാലാക്ഷി; കൃശഗ്രീവ, കൃശോദരി; വ്യാഘ്രചർമ്മവസ്ത്രം ധരിച്ച്, സർപ്പമയ യജ്ഞോപവീതം ധരിച്ചവൾ.

Word by Word

• मुक्तकेशी: with loosened hair
• मुक्तकेशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: मुक्ताः केशाः यस्याः

• विशालाक्षी: wide-eyed
• विशालाक्षी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाल + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: विशालानि अक्षी यस्याः

• कृशग्रीवा: slender-necked
• कृशग्रीवा: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश + ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: कृशा ग्रीवा यस्याः

• कृशोदरी: slender-waisted
• कृशोदरी: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: कृशम् उदरम् यस्याः

• व्याघ्रचर्माम्बरधरा: wearing a tiger-skin garment
• व्याघ्रचर्माम्बरधरा: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याघ्र + चर्म + अम्बर + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: व्याघ्रस्य चर्म (षष्ठी) + तदेव अम्बरम् (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष) + तत् धरति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• व्यालयज्ञोपवीतिनी: having a serpent as the sacred thread
• व्यालयज्ञोपवीतिनी: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याल + यज्ञोपवीतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: व्यालः एव यज्ञोपवीतम् (कर्मधारय) + तद् अस्याः अस्ति (मतुप्/इनि-प्रत्यय: -इनी)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The fierce Goddess stands with loosened hair, wide eyes, slender neck and waist; she wears a tiger-skin and a serpent sacred thread, radiating ascetic ferocity.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The fierce iconography signifies mastery over fear and death (serpents), and transcendence of worldly decorum in the service of cosmic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; this is a form-description within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.