Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

ततश्चालिंग्य तां भक्तां कामाख्या वाक्यमब्रवीत् । भद्रे रणान्निवर्तस्व नायं हंतुं कथंचन

Transliteration

tataścāliṃgya tāṃ bhaktāṃ kāmākhyā vākyamabravīt | bhadre raṇānnivartasva nāyaṃ haṃtuṃ kathaṃcana

Translation

ततः कामाख्या तां भक्तां स्त्रीं समालिङ्ग्य वाक्यमब्रवीत्— “भद्रे, रणात् निवर्तस्व; अयं कदाचन केनापि हन्तुं न शक्यते।”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb ‘then/thereafter’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) = conjunction ‘and’

• आलिङ्ग्य: having embraced
• आलिङ्ग्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लिङ्ग् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (ल्यप्) अव्ययकृदन्त = gerund/absolutive; ‘having embraced’

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन = feminine accusative singular

• भक्ताम्: devotee (woman)
• भक्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √भज् क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = feminine accusative singular

• कामाख्या: Kāmākhyā (goddess)
• कामाख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामाख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन = feminine nominative singular

• वाक्यम्: speech, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = neuter accusative singular

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = imperfect, 3rd person singular

• भद्रे: O auspicious one / dear lady
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन = vocative singular

• रणात्: from the battle
• रणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन = ablative singular

• निवर्तस्व: turn back, withdraw
• निवर्तस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद = imperative, 2nd person singular (Ātmanepada)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात) = negation particle

• अयम्: this (man)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन = masculine nominative singular

• हन्तुम्: to kill
• हन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive) = infinitive ‘to kill’

• कथंचन: in any way, at all
• कथंचन: Sambandha (Modifier/विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकार/निषेधार्थ-क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable ‘in any way/at all’ (often with negation)

Speaker

Kāmakhyā Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāmakhyā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāmakhyā Devī embraces a devoted woman on the edge of a battlefield, offering protective counsel; the devotee’s weapons lowered, the goddess calm and commanding.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmakhyā Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is guided by divine counsel; when the Goddess indicates the inviolability of a divinity, the devotee should withdraw in reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights Kāmakhyā by name (associated with the famed Śākta pīṭha), though no pilgrimage instruction appears in this specific line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is an ethical directive to desist from battle.