Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

त्वयाऽस्याः सततं भक्तिः कार्या दानव सत्तम । अष्टम्यां च विशेषेण चतुर्दश्यां च सर्वदा

Transliteration

tvayā'syāḥ satataṃ bhaktiḥ kāryā dānava sattama | aṣṭamyāṃ ca viśeṣeṇa caturdaśyāṃ ca sarvadā

Translation

يا خيرَ الدَّانَفَة، عليك أن تُداومَ على البَكْتِي لها دائمًا، ولا سيّما في يوم الأَشْتَمِي (الثامن القمري) وكذلك في يوم التشَتُرْدَشِي (الرابع عشر)، على الدوام.

Word by Word

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; (Instrumental singular)

• अस्याः: of this (goddess/her)
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; (Genitive singular, feminine)

• सततम्: always, continually
• सततम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (Nominative singular)

• कार्या: to be done / should be performed
• कार्या: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय) → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्-प्रत्ययान्त, ‘to be done’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; (Predicate adjective agreeing with भक्तिः)

• दानव: O demon
• दानव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• सत्तम: best, excellent
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन; (superlative used in address)

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (lunar day)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; (Locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial instrumental: ‘especially’)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (lunar day)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; (Locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• सर्वदा: at all times, always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Śukra (Bhārgava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dānava-ādhipa (lord of Dānavas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śukra instructs the Dānava lord to keep constant devotion to Devī, highlighting Aṣṭamī and Caturdaśī; a calendrical motif (moon phases) frames the counsel.

Characters & Entities

• Śukra
• Kelīśvarī Devī
• Aṣṭamī
• Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is strengthened through regular, time-sacralized observance; devotion aligned with sacred tithis becomes especially fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction pertains to Kelīśvarī Devī’s tīrtha-context in the Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotion/worship to the Goddess is prescribed particularly on Aṣṭamī and Caturdaśī tithis.