Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

पश्यतामभवयुद्धं तुमुलं लोमहर्षणम् । अस्त्रैश्चिच्छेद मातगी मदविह्वलितं रिपुम्

Transliteration

paśyatāmabhavayuddhaṃ tumulaṃ lomaharṣaṇam | astraiściccheda mātagī madavihvalitaṃ ripum

Translation

เมื่อทุกคนเฝ้าดูอยู่ ศึกก็ทวีความดุเดือดน่าสะพรึงกลัวจนขนลุก มาตังคีทรงใช้อาวุธตัดฟันศัตรูผู้เมามัวด้วยทิฐิและโอนเอนให้ขาดสิ้น

Word by Word

• पश्यताम्: while (they) were watching
• पश्यताम्: Adhikarana (Context/सापेक्ष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुं/नपुंस, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive absolute sense)

• अभवत्: became/occurred
• अभवत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तुमुलम्: tumultuous
• तुमुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुमुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (युद्धस्य)

• लोमहर्षणम्: hair-raising
• लोमहर्षणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोम + हर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लोमानां हर्षणम्) विशेषण (युद्धस्य)

• अस्त्रैः: with weapons
• अस्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• चिच्छेद: cut down/severed
• चिच्छेद: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• मदविह्वलितम्: maddened/delirious with intoxication
• मदविह्वलितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद + विह्वलित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) ‘विह्वलित’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मदेन विह्वलितम्) विशेषण (रिपुम्)

• रिपुम्: enemy
• रिपुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hair-raising, swirling battle: Devī Mātaṅgī unleashes astras, slicing through the arrogant, staggering foe; spectators recoil in awe as weapons flash.

Characters & Entities

• Mātaṅgī
• ripu (enemy, Karṇāṭa implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Arrogance (mada) destabilizes the adharmic, while divine power decisively protects the sanctity of a holy place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, shown as safeguarded by the fierce, protective presence of Mātaṅgī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the Devī’s martial protection rather than a liturgical instruction.