Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ततस्ते तत्समालोक्य बलं देवीसमुद्रवम् । रौद्र रूपधरं तीव्रं विकृतं विकृतैर्मुखैः

Transliteration

tataste tatsamālokya balaṃ devīsamudravam | raudra rūpadharaṃ tīvraṃ vikṛtaṃ vikṛtairmukhaiḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവർ ദേവീഗണങ്ങളുടെ സമുദ്രവേഗംപോലെ കുതിച്ചെത്തുന്ന ആ സൈന്യത്തെ കണ്ടു—അതിതീവ്രം, രൗദ്രരൂപധാരി, വികൃതമുഖങ്ങളാൽ ഭീകരമായത്.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/अनन्तरार्थे (adverb: then/from there)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समालोक्य: having seen
• समालोक्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √लोक् (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/ल्यप्); अर्थः—दृष्ट्वा (having seen)

• बलम्: army/force
• बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• देवीसमुद्रवम्: raised/impelled by the Goddess
• देवीसमुद्रवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवी + समुद्रव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (देव्याः समुद्रवम्/देवीसमुद्भवम्—पाठार्थे ‘devised/raised by the Goddess’)

• रौद्रम्: fierce
• रौद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (बलम् इति विशेष्य)

• रूपधरम्: having a form/appearance
• रूपधरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप + धर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘धर’ from √धृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (रूपं धरति इति)

• तीव्रम्: intense
• तीव्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• विकृतम्: distorted
• विकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + √कृ (धातु) + क्त
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; विशेषणम्

• विकृतैः: with distorted
• विकृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + √कृ (धातु) + क्त
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम्

• मुखैः: faces
• मुखैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; specific speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Kāla-Yavanas look up and behold a surging, ocean-like rush of goddesses—fierce, intense, with grotesque faces—an overwhelming wave of divine power bearing down upon them.

Characters & Entities

• Devīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine may appear fearsome when confronting adharma; wrathful forms are compassionate protection in action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader unit is Tīrthamāhātmya in Nāgarakhaṇḍa; this verse does not specify the site-name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a depiction of the divine host’s appearance and impact.