Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

त्वं देवि चावतारेषु विष्णोः साहाय्यकारिणी । विष्णुनाभ्यर्थ्यसे तस्मात्त्राहि मातर्नमोऽस्तु ते

Transliteration

tvaṃ devi cāvatāreṣu viṣṇoḥ sāhāyyakāriṇī | viṣṇunābhyarthyase tasmāttrāhi mātarnamo'stu te

Translation

女神啊，在毗湿奴的诸化身中，你是施助之者；因此连毗湿奴自身也向你祈求——母亲啊，护佑我；向你致敬。

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अवतारेषु: in (the) incarnations
• अवतारेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• साहाय्यकारिणी: (she who is) a helper
• साहाय्यकारिणी: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहाय्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिणी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; कृ (धातु) + णिनि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; साहाय्यं करोति इति उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कृदन्त-समास

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• अभ्यर्थ्यसे: you are entreated/prayed to
• अभ्यर्थ्यसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-तद्)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• त्राहि: protect (me/us)
• त्राहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• मातर्: O Mother
• मातर्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Salutation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपात/उद्गार (salutation)

• अस्तु: let there be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन

Speaker

Bhīma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī stands behind a sequence of Viṣṇu avatāras as their empowering radiance; Viṣṇu himself folds hands to her, while the devotee pleads for protection.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Viṣṇu
• Avatāras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śakti is indispensable even to divine descents—Devī is the enabling power behind avatāra-work and thus the supreme refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse emphasizes Devī’s cosmic role in avatāra narratives rather than a local māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a theological stuti culminating in a direct plea for protection (trāhi).