Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

उत्पत्तिपालनविनाशकरी च या वै कृत्वाग्रतः सत्त्वरजस्तमांसि । सा चेतनेन ददृशे पुरतो हरेण संमोहनी सकलमंगलमंगलैका

Transliteration

utpattipālanavināśakarī ca yā vai kṛtvāgrataḥ sattvarajastamāṃsi | sā cetanena dadṛśe purato hareṇa saṃmohanī sakalamaṃgalamaṃgalaikā

Translation

സൃഷ്ടി, സ്ഥിതി, ലയം എന്നിവ നടത്തുന്നതും, സത്ത്വ-രജസ്-തമസ് ഗുണങ്ങളെ തന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ സ്ഥാപിച്ചതുമായ അവൾ—ആ സംമോഹിനി, എല്ലാ മംഗളങ്ങളിലും ഏക പരമമംഗളയായവൾ—ചേതനനായ ഹരൻ മുഖാമുഖം ദർശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• उत्पत्ति-पालन-विनाश-करी: the doer of creation, maintenance, and destruction
• उत्पत्ति-पालन-विनाश-करी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + पालन (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाश (प्रातिपदिक) + करिन्/करी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; (उत्पत्तेः पालनस्य विनाशस्य च कर्त्री)

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

• या: she who
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• कृत्वा: having made/placing
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) (कृञ् करणे)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सत्त्व-रजस्-तमांसि: sattva, rajas, and tamas (the three guṇas)
• सत्त्व-रजस्-तमांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व

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

• चेतनेन: by consciousness / by the conscious one
• चेतनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ददृशे: was seen / appeared
• ददृशे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) (दृशिर् प्रेक्षणे)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पुरतः: before, in the presence of
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• हरेण: by Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरेण: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संमोहनी: the Enchantress (Saṃmohanī)
• संमोहनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संमोहनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संज्ञा/विशेषणवत्

• सकल-मङ्गल-मङ्गल-एका: the sole auspiciousness of all auspicious things
• सकल-मङ्गल-मङ्गल-एका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक) + मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक) + मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; (सकलानां मङ्गलानां मङ्गलम्—तस्यैका/एकरूपा)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī stands before Hara as the conscious revelation of cosmic power: subtle symbols of the three guṇas (white/red/black) emanate as streams or halos; behind them, faint imagery of creation-preservation-dissolution cycles; Devī radiates singular auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Devī (Girijā/Gaurī)
• Three guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All cosmic processes operate through Śakti and the guṇas; liberation begins by recognizing the source beyond enchantment—supreme auspiciousness itself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, where the text frames profound metaphysics as part of the place’s revelatory sacredness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it provides a doctrinal basis for Devī worship and guṇa-transcending contemplation.