Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

पित्रा मे स्थापिता दैत्य रक्षार्थं हि द्विजन्मनाम् । केवलं श्यामलांगी सा सर्वलोकहितावहा

Transliteration

pitrā me sthāpitā daitya rakṣārthaṃ hi dvijanmanām | kevalaṃ śyāmalāṃgī sā sarvalokahitāvahā

Translation

‘ହେ ଦୈତ୍ୟ! ଦ୍ୱିଜମାନଙ୍କ ରକ୍ଷାର୍ଥେ ମୋ ପିତା ମୋତେ ନିଯୁକ୍ତ କରିଛନ୍ତି। ସେ ଶ୍ୟାମଳାଙ୍ଗୀ ଦେବୀ କେବଳ ସର୍ବଲୋକର ହିତବାହିନୀ।’

Word by Word

• pitrā: by (my) father
• pitrā: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instr.), एकवचनम्; करण/कर्तृ-हेतुः (by my father)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Gen.), एकवचनम्; ‘मे’ (my)

• sthāpitā: was appointed/placed
• sthāpitā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘स्थापिता’ (was placed/appointed)

• daitya: O demon
• daitya: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Voc.), एकवचनम्; संबोधन (addressing the demon)

• rakṣārtham: for protection
• rakṣārtham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣā + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—रक्षायाः अर्थः (for protection)

• hi: indeed, for
• hi: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/हेतौ निपात (indeed/for)

• dvijanmanām: of the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• dvijanmanām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvijanman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Gen.), बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः—द्विः जन्म यस्य (dvija) (as a lexical compound); ‘of the twice-born’

• kevalam: only, merely
• kevalam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक used adverbially)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयोगः (adverbial use): केवलम् (only/merely)

• śyāmalāṃgī: dark-limbed
• śyāmalāṃgī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śyāmala + aṅgī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः—श्यामलानि अङ्गानि यस्याः सा (she whose limbs are dark)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• sarvalokahitāvahā: bringing welfare to all worlds
• sarvalokahitāvahā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + loka + hita + āvahā (प्रातिपदिक; from √vah with ā-)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः—सर्वलोकस्य हितम् आवहति इति (bringing welfare to all worlds)

Speaker

Devī (Mātaṅgī) (deduced: direct address ‘daitya’ and first-person ‘me’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A declarative moment: the speaker proclaims that the Goddess—dark-limbed Śyāmalā—was appointed by her father to protect the twice-born and to benefit all worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Mātaṅgī)
• Daitya/Dānava
• Father (unnamed, implied divine authority)
• Dvija (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is portrayed as dharma’s guardian—protecting the righteous and sustaining universal welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the sacred context; the verse emphasizes the Goddess’s protective mandate rather than naming a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse states the theological purpose of the Goddess’s presence—protection of the dvijas.