Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

प्रथमायां ततो रात्रौ ययौ सिद्धांबिकापुरः । मंडलं तत्र कृत्वा च भगाकारं करान्नव

Transliteration

prathamāyāṃ tato rātrau yayau siddhāṃbikāpuraḥ | maṃḍalaṃ tatra kṛtvā ca bhagākāraṃ karānnava

Translation

അനന്തരം ആദ്യ രാത്രിയിൽ അവൻ സിദ്ധാംബികാദേവിയുടെ സന്നിധിയിൽ ചെന്നു. അവിടെ ഒൻപതു ദ്വാരങ്ങളുള്ള ഭഗാകാര മണ്ഡലം വരച്ചു.

Word by Word

• प्रथमायाम्: on the first (night)
• प्रथमायाम्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रथमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; 'प्रथमायाम् (तिथौ/रात्रौ)' = on the first (night)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: सम्बन्ध/क्रिया-विशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक/तद्-आधारित अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थे (then/thereafter)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सिद्धाम्बिकापुरः: to the city of Siddhāmbikā
• सिद्धाम्बिकापुरः: कर्म (Karman/Object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धाम्बिका + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सिद्धाम्बिकायाः पुरम्)

• मण्डलम्: a circle/ritual diagram
• मण्डलम्: कर्म (Karman/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); 'having done/made'

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• भगाकारम्: a yoni-shaped form (bhaga-form)
• भगाकारम्: कर्म (Karman/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भगस्य आकारः)

• करात्: from the hand
• करात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Ablative-source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• नव: new
• नव: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddhāmbikā-sthāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night at a Devī shrine: the sādhaka approaches Siddhāmbikā, then draws a yoni-shaped maṇḍala with nine divisions, preparing the ground for a guarded rite.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhāmbikā
• Maṇḍala
• Bhaga-ākāra (yoni form)
• Nine divisions/doors

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred space is ritually established through precise forms; devotion is expressed through careful, rule-bound practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Siddhāmbikā’s precinct in Kāśī is presented as a potent locus for accomplishing vidyā-sādhana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Night-time approach to Siddhāmbikā and the construction of a maṇḍala in bhaga (yoni) form with nine divisions/doors.