Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अक्षमालासिहस्ता च गुण तोमरधारिणी । दिव्यगंधवराधारा दिव्यमालाविभूषिता

Transliteration

akṣamālāsihastā ca guṇa tomaradhāriṇī | divyagaṃdhavarādhārā divyamālāvibhūṣitā

Translation

ତାଙ୍କ ହାତରେ ଅକ୍ଷମାଳା ଓ ଖଡ୍ଗ; ଧନୁଷ୍ୟର ଜ୍ୟା ଏବଂ ତୋମର ଧାରଣ କରିଛନ୍ତି। ଦିବ୍ୟ ସୁଗନ୍ଧର ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଆଧାର, ସେ ଦିବ୍ୟ ମାଳାରେ ବିଭୂଷିତ।

Word by Word

• akṣamālā-asi-hastā: having rosary and sword in her hands
• akṣamālā-asi-hastā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣamālā (प्रातिपदिक) + asi (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (बहुपद): 'akṣamālā ca asiś ca hastayoḥ' (having rosary and sword in (her) hands); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• guṇa: bowstring/cord (guṇa)
• guṇa: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• tomara-dhāriṇī: bearing a spear/javelin
• tomara-dhāriṇī: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tomara (प्रातिपदिक) + dhāriṇī (√dhṛ + णिनि)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'tomaraṃ dhārayati' → dhāriṇī; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• divya-gandha-vara-ādhārā: the abode of excellent divine fragrance
• divya-gandha-vara-ādhārā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक) + gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + vara (प्रातिपदिक) + ādhārā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: 'divyānāṃ gandhānāṃ varaḥ ādhāraḥ yasyāḥ' (support/source of excellent divine fragrance); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• divya-mālā-vibhūṣitā: adorned with divine garlands
• divya-mālā-vibhūṣitā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक) + vibhūṣitā (√bhūṣ + vi- + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: 'divyābhiḥ mālābhiḥ vibhūṣitā' (adorned with divine garlands); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa context; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandā-Devī shrine (Dharmāraṇyaka kṣetra)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: king (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four-armed Devī: one hand with rosary, one with sword; other hands with bowstring (or bow-related attribute) and spear; she is wreathed in divine garlands; a visible aura of fragrance suggested by swirling floral motifs; devotees offer flowers at the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Devī/Śakti (implied)
• Akṣamālā
• Sword (asi)
• Tomara (spear)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The goddess unites japa (rosary) and protection (weapons), showing dharma as both inner discipline and outer safeguarding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, where this Śakti is contemplated in a specific dhyāna-form.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied japa through the rosary and devotional worship through garlands and fragrances; no step-by-step rite is specified.