Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

प्रागेव चंडिकां देवीं क्षेत्रादीशानतः स्थिताम् । आसेदुर्मार्गखिन्नास्ते द्रौपदीपंचमास्तदा

Transliteration

prāgeva caṃḍikāṃ devīṃ kṣetrādīśānataḥ sthitām | āsedurmārgakhinnāste draupadīpaṃcamāstadā

Translation

ପ୍ରଥମେ ସେମାନେ ସେହି କ୍ଷେତ୍ରର ଈଶାନ ଦିଗରେ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ ଚଣ୍ଡିକା ଦେବୀଙ୍କୁ ଆଶ୍ରୟ କଲେ; ପଥଶ୍ରମେ କ୍ଲାନ୍ତ ସେମାନେ ସେତେବେଳେ ସେଠାକୁ ଆସିଲେ—ଦ୍ରୌପଦୀ ପଞ୍ଚମୀ ଭାବେ।

Word by Word

• प्राक्: beforehand
• प्राक्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — ‘प्राक्’ (before/previously)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — ‘एव’ (indeed/just)

• चण्डिकाम्: Caṇḍikā
• चण्डिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — ‘चण्डिकाम्’

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘देवीम्’ (goddess)

• क्षेत्रात्: from the sacred place
• क्षेत्रात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन — ‘क्षेत्रात्’ (from the sacred place/field)

• ईशानतः: from the north-east
• ईशानतः: Adhikarana (Direction/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (दिशावाचक) — ‘ईशानतः’ (from the north-east)

• स्थिताम्: standing; situated
• स्थिताम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘स्थित’ (standing/located), ‘देवीम्/चण्डिकाम्’ विशेषणम्

• आसेदुः: they approached
• आसेदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√सद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन — ‘आसेदुः’ (they approached/reached)

• मार्ग-खिन्नाः: wearied by the journey
• मार्ग-खिन्नाः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + खिन्न (कृदन्त/विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — ‘मार्गेण खिन्नाः’ (wearied by the road); ‘ते’ विशेषणम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — ‘ते’ (they/those)

• द्रौपदी-पञ्चमाः: the five together with Draupadī
• द्रौपदी-पञ्चमाः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौपदी (प्रातिपदिक) + पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — बहुव्रीहि: ‘द्रौपदी पञ्चमी यस्य/येषाम्’ = having Draupadī as the fifth (i.e., the five with Draupadī)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — ‘तदा’ (then)

Speaker

Narrator (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caṇḍikā-kṣetra (as implied by the shrine within the precinct)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Pāṇḍavas and Draupadī arrive dusty and weary at a northeastern shrine of Caṇḍikā—lion-emblem, trident motifs, red cloths—set slightly elevated, marking the edge of the sacred precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍikā Devī
• Pāṇḍavas
• Draupadī
• Īśāna (northeast direction)
• Kṣetra (sacred precinct)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrims seek refuge first in the Mother Goddess; sacred geography (directions within a kṣetra) is treated as spiritually meaningful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Caṇḍikā Devī location within a ‘kṣetra’ is indicated (northeast side), but the broader place-name is not provided in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated here; it narrates darśana/approach to the Devī shrine.