Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

चंडिका वरभगिनी तदा जाता भयावहा । प्रेतासना गता चण्डी सर्पाभरणभूषिता

Transliteration

caṃḍikā varabhaginī tadā jātā bhayāvahā | pretāsanā gatā caṇḍī sarpābharaṇabhūṣitā

Translation

ครั้งนั้น จัณฑิกา ผู้เป็นน้องสาวผู้ได้รับพรอันเป็นมงคล ได้อุบัติขึ้น น่าครั่นคร้ามยิ่ง จัณฑีเสด็จไป ประทับบนอาสนะเหนือศพ และทรงประดับด้วยอาภรณ์เป็นงู

Word by Word

• चण्डिका: Caṇḍikā
• चण्डिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वरभगिनी: the excellent sister
• वरभगिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-भगिनी (प्रातिपदिक; वर + भगिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषणभावे समास (excellent sister)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• जाता: born/appeared
• जाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु √जन्; क्त/क्तप्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भयावहा: bringing fear
• भयावहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय-आवह (प्रातिपदिक; भय + आवह)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्रेतासना: having a preta as her seat
• प्रेतासना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेत-आसन (प्रातिपदिक; प्रेत + आसन)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (one whose seat is a preta)

• गता: gone/advanced
• गता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु √गम्; क्त/क्तप्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• सर्पाभरणभूषिता: adorned with serpent-ornaments
• सर्पाभरणभूषिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्प-आभरण-भूषित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; सर्प + आभरण + भूषित)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP of √भूष्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Caṇḍikā manifests suddenly—terrifying yet regal—seated on a corpse, wearing serpents as ornaments; her presence darkens the air with awe, as attendants gather around her.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍikā (Caṇḍī)
• Serpent ornaments

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The fierce form of Devī protects dharma—what appears terrifying is a guardian power aligned with Śiva’s cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Himalayan sacred sphere, where Śiva and his śakti-retinue are praised in tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a descriptive dhyāna-style portrayal of Caṇḍī’s iconography.