Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

शङ्खोद्धारे ध्वनिर्नाम धृतिः पिण्डारके तथा । काला तु चन्द्रभागायामच्छोदे शक्तिधारिणी

Transliteration

śaṅkhoddhāre dhvanirnāma dhṛtiḥ piṇḍārake tathā | kālā tu candrabhāgāyāmacchode śaktidhāriṇī

Translation

Di Śaṅkhoddhāra Baginda disebut Dhvani, gema suci; di Piṇḍāraka Baginda ialah Dhṛti, keteguhan hati; di sungai Candrabhāgā Baginda ialah Kālā; dan di Acchoda Baginda ialah Śaktidhāriṇī, pembawa kuasa ilahi.

Word by Word

• śaṅkhoddhāre: at Śaṅkhoddhāra
• śaṅkhoddhāre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkha-uddhāra (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शङ्खस्य उद्धारः)

• dhvaniḥ: Dhvani (name)
• dhvaniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhvani (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• nāma: named/called
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (quotative/‘called’)

• dhṛtiḥ: Dhṛti (name)
• dhṛtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• piṇḍārake: at Piṇḍāraka
• piṇḍārake: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः (connector)

• kālā: Kālā (name)
• kālā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• candrabhāgāyām: on the Candrabhāgā (river)
• candrabhāgāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candrabhāgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• acchode: at Acchoda
• acchode: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: acchoda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (स्थलनाम), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śaktidhāriṇī: Śaktidhāriṇī (the wielder of power; name)
• śaktidhāriṇī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti-dhāriṇī (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (शक्तिं धारयतीति)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhoddhāra; Piṇḍāraka; Candrabhāgā; Acchoda

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience seeking kṣetra-identifications of Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four sacred stations: Śaṅkhoddhāra with a giant conch emitting luminous sound-waves as Devī Dhvani; Piṇḍāraka with Devī Dhṛti holding a staff and steady gaze; Candrabhāgā river with Devī Kālā in dark-blue aura holding a noose/time-wheel; Acchoda lake with Devī Śaktidhāriṇī bearing a spear/trident of energy.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkhoddhāra
• Dhvani
• Piṇḍāraka
• Dhṛti
• Candrabhāgā
• Kālā
• Acchoda
• Śaktidhāriṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is experienced as inner spiritual qualities—resonance, fortitude, power—anchored in outward pilgrimage sites that awaken them.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhoddhāra, Piṇḍāraka, the Candrabhāgā river, and Acchoda are named as distinct tīrthas where Devī is worshipped in specific aspects.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription is stated; the tīrtha-nāmas suggest customary snāna and pūjā aligned with each site’s Devī-form.