Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

नित्यरूपे जगद्धात्रि सुरामांसवसाप्रिये । विकरालि महाकालि जय प्रेतजनानुगे

Transliteration

nityarūpe jagaddhātri surāmāṃsavasāpriye | vikarāli mahākāli jaya pretajanānuge

Translation

ജയം നിനക്കേ, നിത്യരൂപിണീ ജഗദ്ധാത്രീ, സുരാ‑മാംസ‑വസാ നൈവേദ്യത്തിൽ പ്രീതയായവളേ. വികരാളീ, മഹാകാളീ—പ്രേതഗണാനുഗാമിനീ, നിനക്കു ജയം॥

Word by Word

• नित्यरूपे: O ever-formed (ever-appearing) one
• नित्यरूपे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (नित्यं रूपं यस्याः/या)

• जगद्धात्रि: O sustainer of the world
• जगद्धात्रि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः धात्री)

• सुरामांसवसाप्रिये: O lover of liquor, flesh, and fat
• सुरामांसवसाप्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक) + मांस (प्रातिपदिक) + वसा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सुरा-मांस-वसा-प्रिय)

• विकरालि: O terrifying one
• विकरालि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकराल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• महाकालि: O Mahākālī
• महाकालि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (महान् कालः)

• जय: be victorious / triumph
• जय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• प्रेतजनानुगे: O follower of the hosts of spirits
• प्रेतजनानुगे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतजनानाम् अनुगाः/अनुगा)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fierce Mahākālī/Vikarālī stands as jagaddhātrī amid a cremation-ground aura, surrounded by preta-gaṇas; she is hailed with repeated ‘jaya’, her presence both protective and terrifying.

Characters & Entities

• Jagaddhātrī (Devī)
• Mahākālī
• Vikarālī
• Pretas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess rules both the cosmic order (world-sustainer) and the fearsome liminal realms, transforming terror into protection for devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a Devī-stuti within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the verse itself does not name the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references fierce-form offerings symbolically; it does not give a normative injunction to perform them.