Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

सांप्रतं मर्त्यलोके त्वं रूपमेतत्समाश्रिता । शस्त्रोद्यतकरा रौद्रा महिषोपरि संस्थिता

Transliteration

sāṃprataṃ martyaloke tvaṃ rūpametatsamāśritā | śastrodyatakarā raudrā mahiṣopari saṃsthitā

Translation

ഇപ്പോൾ മർത്ത്യലോകത്തിൽ നീ ഇതേ രൂപം ആശ്രയിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു—ഭീകരയായി, കൈകളിൽ ഉയർത്തിയ ആയുധങ്ങളോടെ, മഹിഷത്തിന്മേൽ അധിഷ്ഠിതയായി.

Word by Word

• साम्प्रतम्: now
• साम्प्रतम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (now/at present)

• मर्त्यलोके: in the mortal world
• मर्त्यलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मर्त्यानां लोकः)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुषवाचक सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (रूपम्)

• समाश्रिता: having assumed/resorted to
• समाश्रिता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (having resorted/assumed)

• शस्त्र: weapon
• शस्त्र: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• उद्यतकरा: with raised hand(s)
• उद्यतकरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्यत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; उद्-यम् धातु) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (उद्यतः करः यस्याः)

• रौद्रा: fierce
• रौद्रा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• महिष: buffalo
• महिष: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• उपरि: upon
• उपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (preposition/adverb: upon/on)

• संस्थिता: seated/standing
• संस्थिता: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Devāḥ (the gods)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vindhyavāsinī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess appears in the mortal realm in a fierce aspect: weapons raised in multiple hands, raudra expression, seated upon a buffalo (mahīṣa-vāhana), radiating protective power.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Mahiṣa (buffalo as vāhana/seat)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess manifests a protective, formidable form in the human realm to uphold dharma and remove fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage aligns with the Vindhya-associated Devī tradition (Vindhyavāsinī) celebrated within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse establishes the meditative/visual form (dhyāna-rūpa) for devotion.