Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो मातृसहस्रैश्च रौद्रैश्च परिवारिता । कालरात्रिर्जगत्सर्वं हरते दीप्तलोचना

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato mātṛsahasraiśca raudraiśca parivāritā | kālarātrirjagatsarvaṃ harate dīptalocanā

Translation

ଶ୍ରୀ ମାର୍କଣ୍ଡେୟ କହିଲେ—ତେବେ ସହସ୍ର ରୌଦ୍ର ମାତୃକାମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ପରିବୃତା, ଦୀପ୍ତ ନୟନା କାଳରାତ୍ରି ସମଗ୍ର ଜଗତକୁ ହରିବାକୁ ଲାଗିଲା।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मार्कण्डेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रसङ्गे वक्ता-निर्देश

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रम-वाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of sequence)

• मातृसहस्रैः: by thousands of Mothers
• मातृसहस्रैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ-सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक; मातृ + सहस्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• रौद्रैः: fierce
• रौद्रैः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मातृसहस्रैः इत्यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• परिवारिता: surrounded
• परिवारिता: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-√वृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कालरात्रिः)

• कालरात्रिः: Kālarātri
• कालरात्रिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल-रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक; काल + रात्रि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (जगत्)

• हरते: seizes; carries off
• हरते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• दीप्तलोचना: having blazing eyes
• दीप्तलोचना: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त-लोचना (प्रातिपदिक; दीप्त + लोचना)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कालरात्रिः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kālarātri with blazing eyes, dark-bodied, surrounded by innumerable fierce Mātṛkās; the world is being ‘seized’—figures lifted, swept, or drawn into her cosmic movement.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Kālarātri
• Mātṛkās (Mother-goddesses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time, personified as Kālarātri, overpowers all creation; devotion and dharma orient one toward the timeless Reality beyond dissolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised in this verse; it introduces a cosmic event within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative, describing Kālarātri’s approach and action.