Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अचिंत्यरूपचरिता सर्वशत्रुविनाशनी । संध्यायास्त्रिषु कालेषु प्रत्यक्षैव हि दृश्यते

Transliteration

aciṃtyarūpacaritā sarvaśatruvināśanī | saṃdhyāyāstriṣu kāleṣu pratyakṣaiva hi dṛśyate

Translation

അവളുടെ രൂപവും ലീലാചരിതവും അചിന്ത്യമാണ്; അവൾ സകല ശത്രുക്കളെയും നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. ദിവസത്തിലെ മൂന്നു സന്ധ്യാകാലങ്ങളിലും അവൾ പ്രത്യക്ഷമായെന്നപോലെ ദർശനം നൽകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अचिंत्यरूपचरिता: of inconceivable form and conduct
• अचिंत्यरूपचरिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचिन्त्य + रूप + चरिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); समासः—अचिन्त्यं रूपं यस्याः सा + चरिता/चरितवती (बहुव्रीहि-भावः सम्भवति), प्रचलित-ग्रहणम्: तत्पुरुष-समाहारः ‘unthinkable-form-and-conduct’

• सर्वशत्रुविनाशनी: destroyer of all enemies
• सर्वशत्रुविनाशनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + शत्रु + विनाशनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); समासः—सर्वान् शत्रून् विनाशयति या (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• संध्यायाः: of twilight; of the Sandhyā (rite/time)
• संध्यायाः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Feminine, Genitive, Singular)

• त्रिषु: in three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (Locative, Plural)

• कालेषु: times
• कालेषु: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (Masculine, Locative, Plural)

• प्रत्यक्ष: manifestly, directly
• प्रत्यक्ष: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः); (Neuter, Nominative/Adverbial use)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: for, indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतौ-अव्यय (particle)

• दृश्यते: is seen, appears
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive); (Present Indicative, 3rd person, Singular, Passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya—Tri-sandhyā Darśana Devī-sthāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, noon, and dusk, the Devī manifests visibly in the sacred grove—radiant, awe-inspiring, subduing enemies; devotees witness her epiphany during sandhyā rites.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Devī (unspecified form)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devī’s protection is both mystical and immediate—regular sandhyā remembrance aligns the devotee with her tangible grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, where Devī is said to be directly perceptible at the three sandhyās.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of the three sandhyā times is implied as the devotional context for experiencing Devī’s presence.