Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

भयंकरी च चक्रांगी तीर्थनेमिश्च माधवी । गीतप्रिया अलाताक्षी चटुला शलभामुखी

Transliteration

bhayaṃkarī ca cakrāṃgī tīrthanemiśca mādhavī | gītapriyā alātākṣī caṭulā śalabhāmukhī

Translation

At naroon sina Bhayaṃkarī (ang nakapanghihilakbot), Cakrāṃgī (may tanda ng cakra), Tīrthanemi, Mādhavī, Gītapriyā (mahilig sa banal na awit), Alātākṣī (mga matang tila sulo), Caṭulā (masigla at mabilis), at Śalabhāmukhī (mukhang gaya ng gamu-gamo/tipaklong).

Word by Word

• भयंकरी: Fear-causing (Bhayaṃkarī)
• भयंकरी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + करी (कृ धातु, णिनि/कर्तृवाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भयं करोति या = ‘she who causes fear’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• चक्रांगी: Cakrāṅgī (wheel/discus-limbed)
• चक्रांगी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (चक्राणि अङ्गानि/अङ्गे यस्याः सा; or ‘having a discus/with wheel-marked limbs’)

• तीर्थनेमिः: Tīrthanemi
• तीर्थनेमिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + नेमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य नेमिः/नेमिरिव = ‘whose rim/circumference is sacred ford’; name)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• माधवी: Mādhavī
• माधवी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; नाम

• गीतप्रिया: Fond of songs (Gītapriyā)
• गीतप्रिया: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गीतं प्रियं यस्याः सा = ‘fond of song’)

• अलाताक्षी: Torch-eyed (Alātākṣī)
• अलाताक्षी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलात (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षी/अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (अलातवत् अक्षिणी यस्याः सा = ‘torch/firebrand-eyed’)

• चटुला: restless, lively (Caṭulā)
• चटुला: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चटुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण/नामरूपेण

• शलभामुखी: Śalabhāmukhī
• शलभामुखी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शलभ (प्रातिपदिक) + मुखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (शलभवत् मुखं यस्याः सा = ‘moth/locust-faced’; name)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Another set of named Mothers: Bhayaṃkarī (fierce), Cakrāṃgī (with discus-mark), Tīrthanemi (tirtha-axis guardian), Mādhavī (springlike/auspicious), Gītapriyā (devoted to sacred song), Alātākṣī (torch-eyed), Caṭulā (lively), Śalabhāmukhī (moth/locust-faced).

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛs (Mother-goddesses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Mother’s protection includes both gentle and fierce aspects; remembering her names affirms her all-encompassing guardianship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is praised; the name ‘Tīrthanemi’ functions as an epithet within the goddess-list.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the passage functions as a devotional enumeration (nāma-saṅgraha).