Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

एवमेता महादुर्गा नवतीर्थेऽत्र संस्थिताः । चतस्रश्चापि दिग्देव्यो नित्यमर्च्याः शुभेप्सुभिः

Transliteration

evametā mahādurgā navatīrthe'tra saṃsthitāḥ | catasraścāpi digdevyo nityamarcyāḥ śubhepsubhiḥ

Translation

ดังนี้ ปางทั้งหลายของมหาทุรคาได้ประดิษฐานอยู่ ณ ที่นี่ในตถีรถะทั้งเก้า; และเทวีผู้พิทักษ์ทิศทั้งสี่ก็ควรได้รับการบูชาทุกวันจากผู้ปรารถนามงคล

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): प्रकारवाचक (manner)

• etāḥ: these (f.)
• etāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• mahādurgāḥ: the great Durgās
• mahādurgāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + durgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् + दुर्गा)

• navatīrthe: in the nine sacred fords
• navatīrthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nava + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (नव + तीर्थ)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): देशवाचक (place)

• saṃsthitāḥ: are stationed
• saṃsthitāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + sthā (धातु) → saṃsthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (agreeing with etāḥ/mahādurgāḥ); अर्थ: स्थिताः (having been stationed)

• catasraḥ: four
• catasraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (numeral)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय: समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय: अपि (also/even)

• digdevyaḥ: the goddesses of the directions
• digdevyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dik + devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दिशां देव्यो/देव्यः)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nityam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय: कालवाचक (always)

• arcyāḥ: are to be worshipped
• arcyāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु) → arcya (कृदन्त)
• Form: विधेयकृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्-अर्थ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अर्थ: अर्चनीयाः (to be worshipped)

• śubhepsubhiḥ: by those desiring auspiciousness
• śubhepsubhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śubha + ipsu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शुभम् इप्सु = desiring auspiciousness)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Navatīrtha (nine tīrthas) associated with Mahādurgā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred townscape conceived as a mandala: nine tīrtha nodes each with a form of Mahādurgā, and four guardian goddesses stationed at the cardinal directions; pilgrims offer lamps and flowers in daily worship.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādurgā
• Nava-tīrtha (nine tīrthas)
• Digdevīs (four directional goddesses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred region is protected by Devī’s manifold presences; regular worship aligns one with auspicious order (śubha).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A cluster of “nine tīrthas” (nava-tīrtha) where Mahādurgā is said to be established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nitya-arcana: daily worship of Mahādurgā’s forms and the four digdevīs by those seeking auspiciousness.