Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

मुक्त्वैकां योषितं देवि तस्मात्त्वं विनिपातय

Transliteration

muktvaikāṃ yoṣitaṃ devi tasmāttvaṃ vinipātaya

Translation

ਇਸ ਲਈ, ਹੇ ਦੇਵੀ, ਕੇਵਲ ਇਸਤ੍ਰੀ ਨੂੰ ਛੱਡ ਕੇ, ਤੂੰ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਪਾਤਾਲ ਕਰ—ਵਧ ਕਰ ਦੇ।

Word by Word

• मुक्त्वा: having spared/left
• मुक्त्वा: Kriyā (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वा/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having left/released)

• एकाम्: one
• एकाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; योषितम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• योषितम्: a woman
• योषितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/तस्मात् = therefore (causal particle)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीयपुरुष, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विनिपातय: strike down / cause to fall
• विनिपातय: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) + नि (उपसर्ग) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative sense (णिच्) implied: विनिपातय = cause to fall/strike down

Speaker

Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas address the Goddess with a tactical plea: since Mahīṣa is invulnerable to all beings and gods, except (by implication) a woman, they request Devi to strike him down.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Devas
• Mahiṣa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine wisdom turns the very conditions of arrogance into the means of justice; Devī becomes the instrument of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this line; it advances the Arbuda Khaṇḍa storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a petition/request to Devī based on the boon’s exception.