Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

यया स महिषः पूर्वं निहतो दानवो रणे । कौमारव्रतधारिण्या मायाशतसहस्रधृक्

Transliteration

yayā sa mahiṣaḥ pūrvaṃ nihato dānavo raṇe | kaumāravratadhāriṇyā māyāśatasahasradhṛk

Translation

正是由她，昔日那牛魔（具水牛之形的阿修罗）在战阵中被诛灭；她持守童贞清净之誓，具足成百上千、乃至无数的幻力（māyā）。

Word by Word

• यया: by whom
• यया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महिषः: Mahisha (buffalo-demon)
• महिषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly / earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: ‘formerly/before’)

• निहतः: was slain
• निहतः: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• दानवः: the demon
• दानवः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; (महिषस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• कौमारव्रतधारिण्या: by the bearer of the maidenly vow
• कौमारव्रतधारिण्या: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौमार-व्रत-धारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (यया—देव्याः)

• मायाशतसहस्रधृक्: she who bears hundreds and thousands of illusions
• मायाशतसहस्रधृक्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माया-शत-सहस्र-धृक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘देवी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; धृक्-प्रातिपदिक (धृ ‘धारणे’ इत्यस्मात्)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārī-devī-sthāna

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-uttamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The goddess, youthful and radiant, slays a buffalo-formed demon on a battlefield; her face is calm, her weapons blaze, and illusory armies dissolve under her māyā.

Characters & Entities

• Camatkārī Devī
• Mahiṣa (buffalo demon)
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess embodies purity and invincible power, destroying adharma even when it appears formidable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the greatness of the local shrine of Camatkārī Devī by recalling her demon-slaying glory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse establishes the deity’s śakti as the basis for later worship-benefits.