Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

श्रीदेव्युवाच । किमर्थं च समाहूता त्वयाहं वृषवाहन । मंत्रैराथर्वणै रौद्रैस्तत्सर्वं मे प्रकीर्तय

Transliteration

śrīdevyuvāca | kimarthaṃ ca samāhūtā tvayāhaṃ vṛṣavāhana | maṃtrairātharvaṇai raudraistatsarvaṃ me prakīrtaya

Translation

Nữ Thần nói: “Vì cớ gì Ngài đã triệu thỉnh ta, hỡi Đấng cưỡi bò? Ngài đã gọi ta bằng những thần chú Atharvaṇa và Raudra mãnh liệt—xin hãy thuật cho ta trọn vẹn mọi sự.”

Word by Word

• śrī-devī: the revered Goddess
• śrī-devī: Karta (speaker tag)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीश्चासौ देवी)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (speech act)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• kimartham: for what reason/purpose
• kimartham: Hetu/Prayojana (purpose query)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb: ‘for what purpose?’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• samāhūtā: (I am) summoned/called
• samāhūtā: Karta (predicate adjective of aham)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-hū (ह्वे/हू धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थक (called/summoned)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana/Karta (agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• vṛṣa-vāhana: O bull-bannered/one whose mount is the bull (Śiva)
• vṛṣa-vāhana: Sambodhana (address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + vāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृषः वाहनं यस्य) / रूढि-सम्बोधन

• mantraiḥ: with mantras
• mantraiḥ: Karana (instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• ātharvaṇaiḥ: Atharvan (Atharvavedic)
• ātharvaṇaiḥ: Visheshana (of mantraiḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātharvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषण (mantraiḥ)

• raudraiḥ: fierce, Rudra-related
• raudraiḥ: Visheshana (of mantraiḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषण (mantraiḥ)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• sarvam: all (of it)
• sarvam: Visheshana (of tat)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (tat)

• me: to me / for me
• me: Sampradana (beneficiary/for me)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• prakīrtaya: tell, recount
• prakīrtaya: Kriya (command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-kīrt (कीर्त् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

Speaker

Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī speaks, facing Śiva (Vṛṣavāhana), questioning the purpose of her summons; the air vibrates with mantra-fire—subtle glyphs, flames, and protective circles indicating Atharvaṇa/Raudra invocation.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Śiva (Vṛṣavāhana)
• Atharvaṇa mantras
• Raudra mantras
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine powers are invoked with purpose; mantra is not casual but aligned to dharmic intent and cosmic necessity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invocation by Atharvavedic (ātharvaṇa) and Raudra mantras is referenced, but no step-by-step rite is detailed here.