Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

कात्यायनी ततश्चक्रे भुजद्वादशकं तदा । जग्राह च द्रुतं तानि सुरास्त्राणि दिवौकसाम्

Transliteration

kātyāyanī tataścakre bhujadvādaśakaṃ tadā | jagrāha ca drutaṃ tāni surāstrāṇi divaukasām

Translation

Затем Катьяяни явила двенадцать рук и стремительно взяла те небесные оружия, принадлежащие девам — обитателям небес.

Word by Word

• कात्यायनी: Kātyāyanī (the goddess)
• कात्यायनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कात्यायनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (then/from there)

• चक्रे: made/created
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भुजद्वादशकम्: a set of twelve arms
• भुजद्वादशकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज + द्वादशक (प्रातिपदिक); भुजद्वादशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भुजानां द्वादशकम् = set of twelve arms)

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (at that time)

• जग्राह: took/seized
• जग्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-द्वितीया एकवचन (adverbial accusative: quickly)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (those)

• सुरास्त्राणि: the gods' weapons
• सुरास्त्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक); सुरास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणाम् अस्त्राणि)

• दिवौकसाम्: of the heavenly-dwellers (gods)
• दिवौकसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक); दिवौकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दिवि ओकः येषाम् = dwellers in heaven)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; specific speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-uttama (implied continuing address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kātyāyanī suddenly manifests twelve arms like a blossoming halo of limbs, each hand swiftly grasping a celestial weapon; devas look on in awe as the arsenal becomes an icon.

Characters & Entities

• Kātyāyanī (Devī)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is threatened, the Divine Mother manifests the needed power and instruments to protect the worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This passage serves as narrative groundwork for the Vindhya-focused sacred geography that follows in the chapter sequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual appears; the verse highlights the Goddess’s empowering for cosmic protection.