Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

इति स्तुता पांडवेन देवी कृष्णच्छविच्छविः । रामा रामाभिवदना प्रत्यक्षा समजायत

Transliteration

iti stutā pāṃḍavena devī kṛṣṇacchavicchaviḥ | rāmā rāmābhivadanā pratyakṣā samajāyata

Translation

പാണ്ഡവൻ ഇങ്ങനെ സ്തുതിച്ചപ്പോൾ, കൃഷ്ണവർണ്ണത്തോടെയും ദീപ്തിയോടെയും ഉള്ള ദേവി, ലക്ഷ്മിയെപ്പോലെ മനോഹരയായി, രമ്യമുഖശ്രീയോടെ പ്രത്യക്ഷയായി ഉദിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyopasaṃhāra/Quotative marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (इति) (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-निर्देशक (quotative particle: thus)

• stutā: praised
• stutā: Karta (Subject complement to devī)
• Type: Verb
• Root: stu (स्तु) (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; ‘praised’

• pāṇḍavena: by the Pāṇḍava
• pāṇḍavena: Karaṇa/Agent-in-passive (Instrumental agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇḍava (पाण्डव) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• devī: the goddess
• devī: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (देवी) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• kṛṣṇacchavicchaviḥ: of dark radiance
• kṛṣṇacchavicchaviḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of devī)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) + chavi (छवि) + chavi (छवि) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास: ‘कृष्णा छविः यस्याः सा/कृष्ण-छवि-छविः’ (having a dark/blackish radiance)

• rāmā: Rāmā (Lakṣmī)
• rāmā: Apposition (Same referent as devī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāmā (रामा) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• rāmābhivadanā: (she) whom Rāmā salutes / associated with Rāmā’s salutation
• rāmābhivadanā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of devī/rāmā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāmā (रामा) + abhivadanā (अभिवदना) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘रामायाः अभिवदना’ (one whose salutation is to Rāmā / who is greeted by Rāmā)

• pratyakṣā: manifest; visible
• pratyakṣā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of devī)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratyakṣa (प्रत्यक्ष) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• samajāyata: appeared; came into being
• samajāyata: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (जन्) (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; उपसर्ग: सम्+आ

Speaker

Narrator (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; typically Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Upon the Pāṇḍava’s praise, the Goddess appears directly—dark-hued yet radiant, Lakṣmī-like in loveliness, her face worthy of reverence; the devotee beholds her in astonished devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Pāṇḍava
• Rāmā (Lakṣmī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere praise (stuti) culminates in pratyakṣa anugraha—direct divine manifestation and blessing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is named in this verse; it marks a narrative turning point (the Goddess’s appearance).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the implied practice is stotra-recitation as a devotional means to divine grace.