Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

अजापालेन भूपेन तत्सर्वं विफलीकृतम् । तपःशक्त्या सुरश्रेष्ठ देवीमाराध्य चंडिकाम्

Transliteration

ajāpālena bhūpena tatsarvaṃ viphalīkṛtam | tapaḥśaktyā suraśreṣṭha devīmārādhya caṃḍikām

Translation

ହେ ସୁରଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ଅଜାପାଳ ନାମକ ରାଜା ତପଃଶକ୍ତିରେ ଦେବୀ ଚଣ୍ଡିକାଙ୍କୁ ଆରାଧନା କରି ପ୍ରସନ୍ନ କରି, ସେ ସମସ୍ତ ବ୍ୟବସ୍ଥାକୁ ବିଫଳ କରିଦେଲେ।

Word by Word

• ajāpālena: by Ajāpāla (name)
• ajāpālena: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajāpāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhūpena: by the king
• bhūpena: Kartr (Agent apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object determiner/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular) — ‘that’ (agreeing with sarvam)

• sarvam: all (of it)
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• viphalīkṛtam: made futile; rendered fruitless
• viphalīkṛtam: Kriya (Result predicate/क्रिया-विशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + phalī + √kṛ (धातु) + क्त
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle) — नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थः ‘made fruitless’

• tapaḥ-śaktyā: by the power of austerity
• tapaḥ-śaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘तपसः शक्तिः’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• suraśreṣṭha: O best of gods
• suraśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘सुराणां श्रेष्ठः’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• devīm: the Goddess
• devīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ārādhya: having worshipped
• ārādhya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √rādh (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive) — ‘having worshipped/propitiated’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction) — ‘and’

• caṇḍikām: Caṇḍikā
• caṇḍikām: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṇḍikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Yama (inferred from immediate narrative flow: Yama reporting to Brahmā; direct address 'suraśreṣṭha' fits a superior deity like Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Ajāpāla in severe austerity before fierce Caṇḍikā—lion-associated, weapons and skull-garland iconography implied—radiant śakti emanating; in the distance, Yama’s staff and noose rendered powerless.

Characters & Entities

• Yama (Vaivasvata)
• Brahmā
• Ajāpāla
• Caṇḍikā (Devī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intense tapas and sincere Devī-upāsanā can transform worldly conditions and even disrupt established cosmic administration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 95); the verse highlights a devotee-king and Caṇḍikā worship, but does not name the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devī ārādhana (propitiation/worship) supported by tapas (austerity) is indicated as the efficacious practice.