Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

खट्वाङ्गैरुल्मुकैर्दीप्तैर्व्यचरन्मातरः क्षये । उमासंनोदिता सर्वाः प्रधावन्त्यो दिशो दश

Transliteration

khaṭvāṅgairulmukairdīptairvyacaranmātaraḥ kṣaye | umāsaṃnoditā sarvāḥ pradhāvantyo diśo daśa

Translation

کھٹوانگ اور دہکتے ہوئے آتشیں ڈنڈے اٹھائے، پرلے کے وقت وہ ماتائیں گردش کرتی رہیں؛ اُما کے ابھارنے پر سب کی سب دسوں سمتوں کی طرف دوڑ پڑیں۔

Word by Word

• खट्वाङ्गैः: with clubs (khaṭvāṅgas)
• खट्वाङ्गैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खट्वाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• उल्मुकैः: with firebrands
• उल्मुकैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उल्मुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दीप्तैः: blazing
• दीप्तैः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (खट्वाङ्गैः/उल्मुकैः)

• व्यचरन्: they moved about
• व्यचरन्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; छन्दसि/संहितायां रूप-लोप (व्यचरन् = व्यचरन्(त्))

• मातरः: the Mothers
• मातरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• क्षये: in destruction; at the time of ruin
• क्षये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; देश/अवस्था-वाचक

• उमा: with Umā
• उमा: Sahartha (सहार्थ/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (उमा-सा = उमया सह, ‘with Umā’)

• संनोदिताः: urged on; impelled
• संनोदिताः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√नुद् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मातरः)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मातरः)

• प्रधावन्त्यः: running forth
• प्रधावन्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—participial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√धाव् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मातरः)

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma (कर्म/Object—goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-शब्द; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचनार्थे; विशेषण (दिशः)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the time of dissolution, Mātṛkās brandish khaṭvāṅgas and blazing firebrands, propelled by Umā; they surge outward like a storm, splitting into ten directional streams.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛkās (Mother-goddesses)
• Umā (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śakti acts under divine guidance; Umā’s command symbolizes disciplined power deployed for cosmic restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider Revā/Narmadā milieu is implied; no single named tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.