Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

स्कन्दक्रोडनृसिंहानां विचरन्त्यो भयानकाः । चक्रशूलगदाखड्गवज्रशक्त्यृष्टिपट्टिशैः

Transliteration

skandakroḍanṛsiṃhānāṃ vicarantyo bhayānakāḥ | cakraśūlagadākhaḍgavajraśaktyṛṣṭipaṭṭiśaiḥ

Translation

وہ خوفناک ماتائیں اسکَند، وراہ اور نرسِمہ کی مانند گھومتی پھرتی تھیں، اور چکر، شُول، گدا، کھڑگ، وَجر، شکتی، رِشٹی اور پٹّش جیسے ہتھیار اٹھائے ہوئے تھیں۔

Word by Word

• स्कन्दक्रोडनृसिंहानाम्: of Skanda, Varāha (Kroḍa), and Narasiṃha
• स्कन्दक्रोडनृसिंहानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द + क्रोड + नृसिंह (प्रातिपदिक-समाहार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘-आनाम्’ = of; सूची-द्वन्द्व

• विचरन्त्यः: roaming; moving about
• विचरन्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—participial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-√चर् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मातरः)

• भयानकाः: terrifying
• भयानकाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भयानक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (विचरन्त्यः/मातरः)

• चक्रशूलगदाखड्गवज्रशक्त्यृष्टिपट्टिशैः: with discs, tridents, maces, swords, thunderbolts, spears, lances, and axes
• चक्रशूलगदाखड्गवज्रशक्त्यृष्टिपट्टिशैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र + शूल + गदा + खड्ग + वज्र + शक्ति + ऋष्टि + पट्टिश (प्रातिपदिक-समाहार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सूची-द्वन्द्व; करण-भाव

Speaker

Deductive (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mātṛkās roaming in terrifying splendor, their silhouettes echoing Skanda’s commander stance, Varāha’s brute force, and Narasiṃha’s ferocity; weapons glint—chakra, śūla, gadā, khaḍga, vajra, śakti, ṛṣṭi, paṭṭiśa.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛkās (Mother-goddesses)
• Skanda
• Varāha (Kroḍa)
• Narasiṃha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine protects dharma through multiple forms; the same sacred power appears as different avatāric and martial energies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Revā/Narmadā sacred circuit is the setting; the verse itself is descriptive rather than tīrtha-specific.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on iconography and divine armaments.