Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

सिंहं वाहनमारुह्य ततो देवी मनोजवम् । प्रलयांबुदनिर्घोषं चापमादाय भैरवम्

Transliteration

siṃhaṃ vāhanamāruhya tato devī manojavam | pralayāṃbudanirghoṣaṃ cāpamādāya bhairavam

Translation

แล้วพระเทวีเสด็จขึ้นประทับเหนือราชสีห์เป็นพาหนะ เร็วดุจความคิด และทรงหยิบคันศรภีรวะอันน่าสะพรึง ซึ่งกึกก้องดุจเสียงคำรามแห่งเมฆในกาลปรลัย

Word by Word

• सिंहम्: lion
• सिंहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• वाहनम्: vehicle, mount
• वाहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having mounted)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/अनुक्रमवाचक (indeclinable adverb: then/from there)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• मनोजवम्: swift as the mind
• मनोजवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोजव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; adjective)

• प्रलय-अम्बुद-निर्घोषम्: thundering like the deluge-clouds
• प्रलय-अम्बुद-निर्घोषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बुद (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्घोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषभावः (determinative: 'having the roar of the clouds at dissolution')

• चापम्: bow
• चापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having taken)

• भैरवम्: terrible, fearsome
• भैरवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; adjective)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from immediate narrative style; explicit in next adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha (Rāmeśvara region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvija-śreṣṭhas (addressed as ‘dvijottamāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess springs onto a lion, her posture forward-leaning with battle intent; she raises a terrifying bow whose sound is like dissolution-cloud thunder; sky darkens, banners whip, the lion’s mane flares.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Siṃha (lion mount)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power arises to protect dharma; the Goddess’ readiness symbolizes swift, decisive defense of righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukṣetra (Setu/Rāmeśvaram region) as framed by the Setukhaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a martial, narrative description of the Goddess’ preparation for battle.