Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

देवीनां कोटिकोटीभिः संवृता तत्र पालिनी । संकर्षणस्य निःश्वासप्रेरितो दाहकोऽनलः

Transliteration

devīnāṃ koṭikoṭībhiḥ saṃvṛtā tatra pālinī | saṃkarṣaṇasya niḥśvāsaprerito dāhako'nalaḥ

Translation

ที่นั่นเทวีผู้พิทักษ์ประทับยืน รายล้อมด้วยเทวีทั้งหลายเป็นโกฏิ ๆ และไฟเผาผลาญซึ่งถูกขับเคลื่อนด้วยลมหายใจของสังกรษณะ ก็เคลื่อนไปเป็นเปลวเพลิงกลืนกินทุกสิ่ง

Word by Word

• देवीनाम्: of the goddesses
• देवीनाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive); बहुवचन

• कोटिकोटीभिः: by crores upon crores
• कोटिकोटीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (कोटयश्च कोटयश्च); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• संवृता: surrounded/covered
• संवृता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: सम्+वृ धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; (पालिनी)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक (there)

• पालिनी: the protectress/guardian
• पालिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पालिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• संकर्षणस्य: of Saṅkarṣaṇa
• संकर्षणस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• निःश्वासप्रेरितः: impelled by (his) breath
• निःश्वासप्रेरितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःश्वास (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रेरित (प्रेर्/प्रि धातु + णिच् + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (निःश्वासेन प्रेरितः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अनलः)

• दाहकः: burning/causing to burn
• दाहकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दाहक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अनलः)

• अनलः: fire
• अनलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kapālīśā stands firm amid a vast host of devīs forming a protective ring; from the depths, a roaring flame surges forward, visualized as driven by the breath of Saṅkarṣaṇa—an immense serpent-backed cosmic presence suggested in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Devīs
• Pālinī (protectress goddess)
• Saṅkarṣaṇa
• Anala (fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order is sustained by divine guardianship, and dissolution too occurs by divine will—here symbolized by Saṅkarṣaṇa’s breath moving the consuming fire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is cosmological description within the Māheśvara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive (cosmic guardians and the consuming fire).