Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । दक्षिणे स्थापिता राजञ्छांता देवी महाबला । सा विविधाम्बरधरा वनमालाविभूषिता

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | dakṣiṇe sthāpitā rājañchāṃtā devī mahābalā | sā vividhāmbaradharā vanamālāvibhūṣitā

Translation

വ്യാസൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ രാജാവേ, തെക്കുദിശയിൽ മഹാബലയായ ശാന്താദേവി സ്ഥാപിതയായിരുന്നു. അവൾ നാനാവിധ വസ്ത്രധാരിണിയും വനമാലയാൽ വിഭൂഷിതയുമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• दक्षिणे: on the right (side)
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative)

• स्थापिता: placed, installed
• स्थापिता: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → स्थापय् + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• शान्ता: peaceful, calm
• शान्ता: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-प्राय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवी: goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाबला: very powerful
• महाबला: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग-प्राय) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महती बलं यस्याः/या (great in strength)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विविधाम्बरधरा: wearing various garments
• विविधाम्बरधरा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध + अम्बर + धर (धातु/प्रातिपदिक ‘धर’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—विविधम् अम्बरं धारयति इति (one who wears various garments)

• वनमालाविभूषिता: adorned with a garland of forest-flowers
• वनमालाविभूषिता: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वनमाला + वि-भूष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—वनमालया विभूषिता (adorned with a forest-garland)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śāntā-devī-sthāna (Dakṣiṇa) in Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (Rājā/Rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa narrates to a king: in the southern sector stands Devī Śāntā, powerful yet serene, wearing varied garments and a forest-flower garland; the shrine is nestled at the edge of a sacred grove.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Śāntā Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred site is mapped through divine installations; the Goddess’ presence is described as both peaceful (Śāntā) and powerful (mahābalā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Dharmāraṇya-māhātmya setting, the southern placement of Śāntā Devī marks and sanctifies the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It indicates a sthāpana (installation/placement) of the Goddess, implying consecration and worship of the deity at a designated direction.