Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

मन्त्रैर्विना षोडश सोपचारैः कार्या सुपूजा नरकादिहंतुः । यथा तथा वै गिरिजापतेश्च कार्या महा शूद्र महाघहंत्री

Transliteration

mantrairvinā ṣoḍaśa sopacāraiḥ kāryā supūjā narakādihaṃtuḥ | yathā tathā vai girijāpateśca kāryā mahā śūdra mahāghahaṃtrī

Translation

وإن لم تُتْلَ المانترا، فلتُؤدَّ عبادةٌ حسنةٌ جدًّا مع الستةَ عشرَ نوعًا من القرابين والآداب (ṣoḍaśopacāra)، فإنها تُبيد مصائر الجحيم وما شابهها. وكذلك، يا أيها الشودرَة العظيم، أَدِّ عبادةَ ربِّ جِرِيجا (شِيفا)، فهو المُهلِك العظيم للذنوب الجسيمة.

Word by Word

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय/पूर्वपद (preposition-like indeclinable), वियोगार्थ (without); सह पञ्चमी/तृतीया-प्रयोगः (usage varies)

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडशन् (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; here qualifying सोपचारैः (sixteen)

• सोपचारैः: with (sixteen) services/offerings
• सोपचारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष-समास (sa-upacāra = with offerings/attendances)

• कार्या: should be performed
• कार्या: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय-विशेषण (to be done)

• सुपूजा: proper worship
• सुपूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय-समास (su-pūjā = good worship)

• नरकादिहन्तुः: of the destroyer of hell etc. (the Lord)
• नरकादिहन्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक + आदि + हन्तृ (√हन् धातु + तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (narakādi-hantuḥ = of the destroyer of hell etc.)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; manner: 'as/how')

• तथा: so
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; 'so/in that way')

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• गिरिजापतेः: of Girijā’s lord (Śiva)
• गिरिजापतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (girijā-pati = husband of Girijā/Parvatī)

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

• कार्या: should be performed
• कार्या: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); (repetition for second clause)

• महाशूद्र: O great Śūdra
• महाशूद्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय-समास

• महाघहन्त्री: (worship) that destroys great sin
• महाघहन्त्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + अघ + हन्त्री (√हन् धातु + तृच्, स्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (mahāgha-hantrī = destroyer of great sin)

Speaker

Implied narrator within Brahmā–Nārada dialogue context (didactic instruction); likely Brahmā continuing the account

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to a 'mahā-śūdra' (honorific address within the dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers sixteen upacāras before a Śiva-liṅga: water-pot for abhiṣeka, flowers, incense, lamp, naivedya; the devotee’s humility contrasts with the radiance of Śiva as Girijā-pati; the atmosphere suggests purification and protection from naraka.

Characters & Entities

• Girijā (Pārvatī)
• Girijāpati (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere devotion expressed through proper worship can destroy severe sins even when mantra-recitation is not possible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya in the Nāgara Khaṇḍa, though this verse itself emphasizes Śiva-worship rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śiva-pūjā using the ṣoḍaśopacāra (sixteen offerings/services), even without mantras.