Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

युध्यमानास्तथैवान्ये शक्तिमंतोऽपि दानवाः । भक्ष्यंते मातृभिस्तत्र सायुधाश्च सवाहनाः

Transliteration

yudhyamānāstathaivānye śaktimaṃto'pi dānavāḥ | bhakṣyaṃte mātṛbhistatra sāyudhāśca savāhanāḥ

Translation

ସେହିପରି ଅନ୍ୟ ଦାନବମାନେ—ଶକ୍ତିଶାଳୀ ହୋଇ ଯୁଦ୍ଧ କରୁଥିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ—ସେଠାରେ ମାତୃକାମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ନିଜ ଅସ୍ତ୍ର ଓ ବାହନ ସହିତ ଭକ୍ଷିତ ହେଲେ।

Word by Word

• yudhyamānāḥ: fighting
• yudhyamānāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yudh (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/emphasis)

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• śaktimantaḥ: powerful
• śaktimantaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaktimat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• dānavāḥ: demons (Dānavas)
• dānavāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• bhakṣyante: are being eaten/devoured
• bhakṣyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• mātṛbhiḥ: by the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• mātṛbhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• sa-āyudhāḥ: armed
• sa-āyudhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय उपसर्ग-सदृश) + āyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (possessive: 'having weapons'), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• sa-vāhanāḥ: with their mounts/vehicles
• sa-vāhanāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय उपसर्ग-सदृश) + vāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (possessive: 'having mounts/vehicles'), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fierce battlefield where Mātr̥kās devour armed Dānavas along with their weapons and mounts; the scene emphasizes unstoppable divine feminine power and the collapse of demonic might.

Characters & Entities

• Dānavas
• Mātr̥kās (Mothers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly strength and armament cannot resist divine śakti when it rises to re-establish dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it contributes to the wider sacred-history tone of the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the action of the Mātr̥kās in battle.