Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

विचित्राणि महार्हाणि रौद्रशान्तानि कारयेत् । मातृणां चण्डिकादीनां राक्षसानां तथैव च

Transliteration

vicitrāṇi mahārhāṇi raudraśāntāni kārayet | mātṛṇāṃ caṇḍikādīnāṃ rākṣasānāṃ tathaiva ca

Translation

விசித்திரமும் அருமையும் உடைய, உக்கிரமும் சாந்தமும் ஆகிய ரூபங்களில் சண்டிகா முதலிய மாத்ருகைகளின் மற்றும் ராக்ஷசர்களின் உருவங்களைச் செய்ய வேண்டும்।

Word by Word

• विचित्राणि: variegated/ornate
• विचित्राणि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मुखबिंबानि इत्यस्य)

• महार्हाणि: very precious
• महार्हाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-अर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘महान् अर्हः’

• रौद्रशान्तानि: fierce and peaceful (types)
• रौद्रशान्तानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र-शान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः—‘रौद्राणि च शान्तानि च’

• कारयेत्: should have (them) made
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कारय् (कृ धातोः णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मातृणाम्: of the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• चण्डिकादीनाम्: of Caṇḍikā and others
• चण्डिकादीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डिका-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’समासः—‘चण्डिका-आदीनाम्’ = ‘of Caṇḍikā and others’

• राक्षसानाम्: of the demons
• राक्षसानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

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

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Artisans and ritual attendants display ornate, precious masks/images: some terrifying with fangs and blazing eyes, others calm and benevolent; central among them are Mātṛkā forms like Caṇḍikā, arranged for worship.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛs
• Caṇḍikā
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes both reverence and ritual appeasement—acknowledging fierce powers and harmonizing them through sanctioned worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Sthala Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Commissioning sacred representations (images) of the Mātṛs (e.g., Caṇḍikā) and even rākṣasa-forms, in both fierce and pacifying modes.