Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

आदौ तत्र महालक्ष्मीर्नंदा क्षेमंकरी तथा । शिवदूती महाभद्रा भ्रामरी चन्द्रमण्डला

Transliteration

ādau tatra mahālakṣmīrnaṃdā kṣemaṃkarī tathā | śivadūtī mahābhadrā bhrāmarī candramaṇḍalā

Translation

അവരിൽ ആദ്യം മഹാലക്ഷ്മി, നന്ദാ, ക്ഷേമങ്കരി; കൂടാതെ ശിവദൂതി, മഹാഭദ്ര, ഭ്രാമരി, ചന്ദ്രമണ്ഡലാ.

Word by Word

• आदौ: in the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभावः/क्रियाविशेषणम् (locative adverb): ‘प्रारम्भे/at first’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• महालक्ष्मीः: Mahālakṣmī
• महालक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘महती लक्ष्मीः’)

• नन्दा: Nandā
• नन्दा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• क्षेमकरी: Kṣemakarī (maker of welfare)
• क्षेमकरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेम + करी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘क्षेमं करोति’)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

• शिवदूती: Śivadūtī (messenger of Śiva)
• शिवदूती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + दूती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘शिवस्य दूती’)

• महाभद्रा: Mahābhadrā
• महाभद्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + भद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘महती भद्रा’)

• भ्रामरी: Bhrāmarī
• भ्रामरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रामरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चन्द्रमण्डला: Candramāṇḍalā (moon-orbed)
• चन्द्रमण्डला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र + मण्डला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘चन्द्रस्य मण्डला/मण्डलरूपा’)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A litany of Devī’s forms appears as a radiant circle around the central Goddess: Mahālakṣmī with lotuses, Nandā and Kṣemaṃkarī as auspicious attendants, Śivadūtī as fierce messenger, Mahābhadrā as benevolent queen, Bhrāmarī with a halo of bees, Candramaṇḍalā crowned by a lunar disc; the sea-breeze of Prabhāsa and a distant Somnātha liṅga anchor the setting.

Characters & Entities

• Mahālakṣmī
• Nandā
• Kṣemaṃkarī
• Śivadūtī
• Mahābhadrā
• Bhrāmarī
• Candramaṇḍalā
• Yoginīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The enumeration of sacred names is treated as a divine safeguard—invoked for welfare, protection, and spiritual purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Yoginī-nāmāvali is revealed within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied nāma-japa/recitation of Yoginī names as a protective, fear-destroying practice.