Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

एकवीरेति या देवी साक्षात्सा शिवपूजिता । ययाविष्टो जगत्सर्वं संहरत्येष भूतराट्

Transliteration

ekavīreti yā devī sākṣātsā śivapūjitā | yayāviṣṭo jagatsarvaṃ saṃharatyeṣa bhūtarāṭ

Translation

พระเทวีผู้มีนามว่า “เอกวีรา” นั้น พระศิวะเองทรงบูชาโดยตรง เมื่อถูกอานุภาพของพระนางครอบงำแล้ว จอมแห่งภูตทั้งหลายผู้นี้จึงยังจักรวาลทั้งปวงให้ถึงการสลายดับ

Word by Word

• eka-vīrā: Ekavīrā
• eka-vīrā: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (संख्या) + vīrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-नाम: 'the one heroic (goddess)'

• iti: thus (called)
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle): end of name/quotation

• yā: who
• yā: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; relative pronoun

• devī: goddess
• devī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sākṣāt: directly, in person
• sākṣāt: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sākṣāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): 'directly/in person'

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• śiva-pūjitā: worshipped by Śiva
• śiva-pūjitā: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + √pūj (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समास: śiva-pūjitā = 'śivena pūjitā' (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• yayā: by whom
• yayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun

• āviṣṭaḥ: possessed, pervaded
• āviṣṭaḥ: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√viś (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'entered/possessed'

• jagat: world
• jagat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as object with 'sarvam' (collective)

• sarvam: all, entire
• sarvam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies 'jagat'

• saṃharati: withdraws/destroys
• saṃharati: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• eṣaḥ: this (one)
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• bhūta-rāṭ: king of beings (Śiva)
• bhūta-rāṭ: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + rājan/rāṭ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'bhūtānāṃ rāṭ' (king of beings)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ekavīrā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquirer (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva himself worships Ekavīrā; her power enters (āviṣṭa) the lord of beings, who then dissolves the universe—shown as cosmic absorption into darkness/light.

Characters & Entities

• Ekavīrā
• Śiva (Bhūtarāṭ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s cosmic function is inseparable from Śakti: the Goddess is affirmed as the empowering presence behind dissolution and transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ekavīrā is introduced as a northern Śakti presence; the verse emphasizes her theological stature more than a named pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva’s own worship of Ekavīrā is cited as exemplary; devotees are thereby encouraged toward her pūjā and upāsanā.