Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कालरात्रि जयाचिन्त्ये नवम्यष्टमिवल्लभे । त्रिनेत्रे त्र्यंबकाभीष्टे जय देवि सुरार्चिते

Transliteration

kālarātri jayācintye navamyaṣṭamivallabhe | trinetre tryaṃbakābhīṣṭe jaya devi surārcite

Translation

ജയം, കാലരാത്രീ; ജയം, അചിന്ത്യയായവളേ; നവമിയും അഷ്ടമിയും പ്രിയമായവളേ! ത്രിനേത്രിയേ, ത്ര്യംബകന്റെ അഭീഷ്ടേ—ജയം, ദേവന്മാർ അർച്ചിക്കുന്ന ദേവീ!

Word by Word

• कालरात्रि: O Kālarātri
• कालरात्रि: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla + rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; 'night of Time' (name/epithet)

• जय: hail!
• जय: Sambodhana (Vocative address)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jaya (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बोधनार्थ निपात)

• अचिन्त्ये: O inconceivable one
• अचिन्त्ये: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acintya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √cint)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; 'unthinkable/inconceivable'

• नवम्यष्टमिवल्लभे: O beloved of Navamī and Aṣṭamī
• नवम्यष्टमिवल्लभे: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: navamī + aṣṭamī + vallabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; 'beloved of the ninth and eighth (tithis)'

• त्रिनेत्रे: O three-eyed one
• त्रिनेत्रे: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri + netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास; 'three-eyed'

• त्र्यम्बकाभीष्टे: O beloved of Tryambaka
• त्र्यम्बकाभीष्टे: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tryambaka + abhīṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √iṣ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; 'dear to Tryambaka (Śiva)'

• जय: hail!
• जय: Sambodhana (Vocative address)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jaya (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बोधनार्थ निपात)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• सुरार्चिते: O worshipped by the gods
• सुरार्चिते: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sura + arcita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √arc)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; 'worshipped by gods'

Speaker

Niṣadhādhipati (the lord/king of Niṣadha), offering Devī-stuti

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Devī appears as Kālarātri—dark, radiant, three-eyed—yet worshipped by devas; the sky suggests night and cosmic time; Aṣṭamī and Navamī are symbolized by moon phases or calendrical motifs near the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Kālarātri
• Devī
• Tryambaka (Śiva)
• Suras (gods)
• Aṣṭamī
• Navamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine Mother transcends thought yet becomes accessible through sacred time (tithis) and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as Devī praise within a tīrtha chapter; the site name is not specified in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It highlights devotional importance of Aṣṭamī and Navamī; it implies worship on these tithis rather than stating a detailed rite.