Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तथा काली भैरवी च माया चैव भयावहा । त्रिपुरा च जया चैव तथा क्षेमकरी शुभा

Transliteration

tathā kālī bhairavī ca māyā caiva bhayāvahā | tripurā ca jayā caiva tathā kṣemakarī śubhā

Translation

അവിടെ കാളിയും ഭൈരവിയും ഭയം വരുത്തുന്ന മായയും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു. ത്രിപുരയും ജയയും, കൂടാതെ മംഗളമായ ക്ഷേമകരി—ക്ഷേമദായിനി—യും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/अनुक्रमसूचक

• काली: Kālī
• काली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kālī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• भैरवी: Bhairavī
• भैरवी: Karta (co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhairavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• माया: Māyā
• माया: Karta (co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• भयावहा: bringing fear
• भयावहा: Visheshana (of the goddesses/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya + āvaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘भयं आवहति’ (fear-bringing)

• त्रिपुरा: Tripurā
• त्रिपुरा: Karta (co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tripurā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• जया: Jayā
• जया: Karta (co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक

• क्षेमकरी: bringing welfare
• क्षेमकरी: Visheshana (of a goddess/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣema + karī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘क्षेमं करोति’ (welfare-making)

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (appositional/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tableau of Śaktis: Kālī and Bhairavī in fierce stance, Māyā as dread-inducing veiling power, Tripurā and Jayā as victorious forms, and Kṣemakarī radiating auspicious protection—arranged as a protective circle around Śiva’s mission.

Characters & Entities

• Kālī
• Bhairavī
• Māyā
• Tripurā
• Jayā
• Kṣemakarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The one divine power appears in many names and functions—terrifying to evil, auspicious and protective to devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra; the verse enhances its mahatmya by naming powerful attendant goddesses present in the sacred sphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it functions as devotional remembrance (smaraṇa) through divine names.