Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तत्रैव चोपविष्टोऽभूत्तदानीं चंडिकागणः । बर्बरीकश्च तान्वीरान्समायातानपश्यत

Transliteration

tatraiva copaviṣṭo'bhūttadānīṃ caṃḍikāgaṇaḥ | barbarīkaśca tānvīrānsamāyātānapaśyata

Translation

ณ ที่นั้นเอง ในกาลนั้น หมู่บริวารของเทวีจัณฑิกานั่งอยู่ และบรรพรีกะก็แลเห็นวีรชนเหล่านั้นผู้กำลังมาถึง

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — ‘तत्र’ (there)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — ‘एव’ (indeed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — ‘च’ (and)

• उपविष्टः: seated
• उपविष्टः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप√विश् (धातु) → उपविष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘उपविष्ट’ (seated), ‘चण्डिकागणः’ विशेषणम्

• अभूत्: was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (अद्यतनभूत/Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — ‘अभूत्’ (was/became)

• तदानीम्: at that time
• तदानीम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — ‘तदानीम्’ (at that time)

• चण्डिका-गणः: Caṇḍikā’s retinue
• चण्डिका-गणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डिका (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — तत्पुरुष: ‘चण्डिकायाः गणः’ (the troop/retinue of Caṇḍikā)

• बर्बरीकः: Barbarīka
• बर्बरीकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्बरीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘बर्बरीकः’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — ‘च’ (and)

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — ‘तान्’ (those)

• वीरान्: heroes
• वीरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — ‘वीरान्’ (heroes)

• समायातान्: having arrived
• समायातान्: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ√या (धातु) → समायात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘समायात’ (having arrived), ‘तान् वीरान्’ विशेषणम्

• अपश्यत: saw
• अपश्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — ‘अपश्यत’ (saw)

Speaker

Narrator (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caṇḍikā-sthāna (within the kṣetra)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seated circle of fierce yet orderly attendants of Caṇḍikā—armed, adorned with rudrākṣa and red garlands—while Barbarīka, alert and curious, notices the approaching Pāṇḍava heroes.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍikāgaṇa
• Barbarīka
• Pāṇḍava heroes (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Where the Goddess is honored, her presence is described as living and attended—devotion makes the sacred space vivid and protective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Caṇḍikā-centered sacred precinct is implied; the verse itself does not name the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is prescribed; it describes the presence of Caṇḍikā’s attendants and the arrival (darśana) of the heroes.