Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सैव चांडकटाहान्मे समाराध्यात्र प्रापिता । योगिनीभिः परिवृता संस्थिता चोत्तरां दिशम्

Transliteration

saiva cāṃḍakaṭāhānme samārādhyātra prāpitā | yoginībhiḥ parivṛtā saṃsthitā cottarāṃ diśam

Translation

അതേ ദേവിയെ ഞാൻ യഥാവിധി ആരാധിച്ച് ചാണ്ഡകടാഹയിൽ നിന്ന് ഇവിടെ കൊണ്ടുവന്നു. യോഗിനികളാൽ പരിവൃതയായി അവൾ ഉത്തരദിശാഭിമുഖമായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• चाण्डकटाहात्: from the Cāṇḍa-cauldron
• चाण्डकटाहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाण्ड-कटाह (प्रातिपदिक; चाण्ड + कटाह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• समाराध्य: having worshipped well
• समाराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive), ‘having duly worshipped’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• प्रापिता: caused to be brought/obtained
• प्रापिता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• योगिनीभिः: by/with yoginīs
• योगिनीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• परिवृता: surrounded
• परिवृता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-वृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• संस्थिता: stationed
• संस्थिता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उत्तराम्: northern
• उत्तराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दिशम् इति)

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cāṇḍakaṭāha (source) / northern-facing Devī-yoginī sthāna (destination unnamed)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Devī is brought from Cāṇḍakaṭāha and स्थापित facing north; around her stands a circle of yoginīs—fierce yet auspicious—forming a protective mandala, with the installer figure in reverent posture.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Yoginīs
• Cāṇḍakaṭāha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper worship (samārādhana) draws the Goddess’ presence into a place, sanctifying it as a living Śakti-sthāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cāṇḍakaṭāha is referenced as the source-place connected with the Goddess’ manifestation and relocation/establishment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samārādhana (thorough worship) and establishment (pratiṣṭhā) are implied; no detailed procedure is specified in this verse.