Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

चैत्रमास त्रयोदश्यां शुक्लायां वरवर्णिनि । पूजयेद्विधिवद्भक्त्या पौंडरीकफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

caitramāsa trayodaśyāṃ śuklāyāṃ varavarṇini | pūjayedvidhivadbhaktyā pauṃḍarīkaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

يا ذاتَ اللونِ الحسن، في اليومِ الثالثَ عشرَ من النصفِ المضيء (شُكلا) من شهرِ تشيترا، من يعبدُ بتقوى وفقَ الشعائرِ المقرَّرة ينالُ ثمرةً تعادلُ قربانَ «بوندارِيكا».

Word by Word

• चैत्रमासे: in the month of Caitra
• चैत्रमासे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र-मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चैत्रस्य मासः)

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth lunar day
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• शुक्लायाम्: in the bright (fortnight)
• शुक्लायाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘त्रयोदशी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (in the bright fortnight)

• वरवर्णिनि: O fair-complexioned lady
• वरवर्णिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-वर्णिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वरा वर्णिनी)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विधिवत्: according to proper rite
• विधिवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘according to rule’)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• पौण्डरीकफलम्: the fruit (merit) of a pauṇḍarīka (lotus/lotus-like reward)
• पौण्डरीकफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौण्डरीक-फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पौण्डरीकस्य फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāpahara-liṅga (Aruṇa-pratiṣṭhita) near Siddhaliṅga, Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bright half of Caitra, trayodaśī: devotees arrive with fresh bilva and flowers; a priest performs abhiṣeka and arcana at the liṅga, while a symbolic yajña-fire motif in the background hints at Puṇḍarīka-phala equivalence.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Caitra (month)
• Trayodaśī
• Puṇḍarīka (yajña/merit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual discipline (vidhi) joined with devotion (bhakti) magnifies merit, making a simple pūjā equal to great Vedic-scale results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is Prabhāsa-kṣetra in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya; the rite pertains to worship at the local liṅga/shrine being described in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform vidhivat pūjā on Caitra month, bright fortnight, Trayodaśī (13th tithi), with bhakti, to gain Puṇḍarīka-level merit.