Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

यामे तु प्रथमे याते काचिन्नारी समाययौ । शोणिताक्तैकवसना महोच्चोर्ध्वशिरोरुहा

Transliteration

yāme tu prathame yāte kācinnārī samāyayau | śoṇitāktaikavasanā mahoccordhvaśiroruhā

Translation

രാത്രിയുടെ ആദ്യ യാമം കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ ഒരു സ്ത്രീ അവിടെ എത്തി—രക്തം പുരണ്ട ഒരേയൊരു വസ്ത്രം ധരിച്ചവൾ; അവളുടെ മുടി വളരെ ഉയർന്ന് മേലോട്ടു കുത്തിനിന്നു.

Word by Word

• yāme: in the watch (of time)
• yāme: Adhikaraṇa (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• prathame: first
• prathame: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (yāme इति)

• yāte: when (it) had passed
• yāte: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• kācit: a certain
• kācit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kācid (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite pronoun)

• nārī: woman
• nārī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• samāyayau: came/arrived
• samāyayau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: सम्+आ

• śoṇita-ākta-eka-vasanā: whose single garment was smeared with blood
• śoṇita-ākta-eka-vasanā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śoṇita (प्रातिपदिक) + ākta (कृदन्त; √añj/अञ्ज् 'to smear') + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + vasana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (śoṇitena āktā, ekam vasanaṃ yasyāḥ)

• mahā-ucca-ūrdhva-śiro-ruhā: having very tall, upward-standing hair
• mahā-ucca-ūrdhva-śiro-ruhā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ucca (प्रातिपदिक) + ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (प्रातिपदिक) + ruhā (प्रातिपदिक; 'hair growth')
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (uccaṃ ūrdhvaṃ śiro-ruhā yasyāḥ)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A terrifying woman appears at the edge of the firelight after the first watch: single blood-smeared garment, hair bristling upward, silhouette stark against the flames and night sky.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Unnamed terrifying woman (yakṣiṇī/śākinī-like figure, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sādhana is often tested by fearsome appearances; steadiness amid terror is part of spiritual endurance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse situates the event during a timed ritual context (night-watch) but gives no new prescription beyond the ongoing homa.