Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

रतिः क्रोधा महामाया छाया ज्योतिःस्वरूपिणि । सृष्टि स्थित्यंतकृद्देवि कार्यकारणदा सदा

Transliteration

ratiḥ krodhā mahāmāyā chāyā jyotiḥsvarūpiṇi | sṛṣṭi sthityaṃtakṛddevi kāryakāraṇadā sadā

Translation

พระองค์ทรงเป็นทั้งความรื่นรมย์และความกริ้ว เป็นมหามายา เป็นเงาและเป็นสภาวะแห่งแสง โอ้เทวี พระองค์ทรงกระทำการสร้าง การทรงไว้ และการล่มสลาย พร้อมประทานทั้งเหตุและผลเป็นนิตย์

Word by Word

• रतिः: Rati / delight
• रतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्रोधा: anger
• क्रोधा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (काव्ये स्त्रीलिङ्ग-रूपेणापि प्रयोगः सम्भवः; अत्र प्रथमा एकवचन)

• महामाया: great illusion (Mahāmāyā)
• महामाया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महती माया)

• छाया: shadow
• छाया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्योतिःस्वरूपिणि: O one whose nature is light
• ज्योतिःस्वरूपिणि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् + स्वरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (ज्योतिषः स्वरूपिणी)

• सृष्टि: creation
• सृष्टि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थित्यन्तकृत्: the maker of dissolution (end of maintenance)
• स्थित्यन्तकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थिति + अन्त + कृद् (√कृ धातु; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (देवि-सम्बोधनात् स्त्रीलिङ्गार्थे), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्थितेः अन्तस्य कर्ता)

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

• कार्यकारणदा: giver of effect and cause
• कार्यकारणदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य + कारण + द (√दा धातु; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कार्यस्य कारणस्य च दात्री)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Viprāḥ (continuing the hymn)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī depicted as half in luminous gold-white (jyotiḥ) and half in deep blue-black (chāyā), with a surrounding mandala showing creation (sprouting lotus), preservation (protective hands), and dissolution (flame/time wheel).

Characters & Entities

• Mahāmāyā
• Devī as Jyotiḥ
• Devī as Sṛṣṭi-Sthiti-Anta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is the power behind all opposites and the entire cycle of cosmic processes, governing both the means and the fruits of actions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is singled out; it is a universal stuti situated within Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse serves as contemplative praise of the Devī’s cosmic functions.