Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

सदाष्टम्यां चतुर्दश्यां यस्ताभ्यां बलिमाहरेत् । स कामानाप्नुयादिष्टानिह प्रेत्य च सद्गतिम्

Transliteration

sadāṣṭamyāṃ caturdaśyāṃ yastābhyāṃ balimāharet | sa kāmānāpnuyādiṣṭāniha pretya ca sadgatim

Translation

ومن قدّم «بَلي» (قربانًا طقسيًا) لهاتين الإلهتين في اليوم القمري الثامن والرابع عشر، نال رغباته في هذه الدنيا، وبعد الموت بلغ مصيرًا صالحًا.

Word by Word

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'always')

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• ताभ्याम्: by/with those two (tithis)
• ताभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); द्विवचन; (अष्टमी-चतुर्दशी-तिथ्योः)

• बलिम्: offering (bali)
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• आहरेत्: should offer/bring
• आहरेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/Potential); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• कामान्: desires
• कामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन

• आप्नुयात्: would obtain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/Potential); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इष्टान्: desired, wished-for
• इष्टान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट (कृदन्त; √इष्/इच्छ्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'कामान्')

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'here/in this world')

• प्रेत्य: after death, having departed
• प्रेत्य: Kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया/Preceding action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); 'having departed/died'

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

• सद्गतिम्: good destination (afterlife)
• सद्गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सतः/सत्-सम्बन्धिनी गतिः = 'good/true destination')

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ambāvṛddhā (within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a kṣetra-shrine at dusk on aṣṭamī/caturdaśī, placing bali offerings before two revered presences, with lamps, incense, and a protective maternal aura around the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Ambāvṛddhā (implied context)
• Aṣṭamī
• Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular worship aligned with sacred lunar days yields both worldly fulfillment and spiritual uplift after death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The merit is framed within the Ambāvṛddhā kṣetra narrative of Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer bali to the two deities on Aṣṭamī and Caturdaśī tithis.