Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

आश्वयुक्छुक्लपक्षे तु नवम्यां नियतात्मवान् । यस्ताः पूजयते मातॄर्विधिना भावितात्मवान्

Transliteration

āśvayukchuklapakṣe tu navamyāṃ niyatātmavān | yastāḥ pūjayate mātṝrvidhinā bhāvitātmavān

Translation

وأمّا في النصفِ المضيء من شهر «آشْوَيُجَ»، في اليوم القمري التاسع، فإنّ من يضبط نفسَه ويعبد تلك الأمهات وفق الشعائر، بقلبٍ مُطهَّرٍ ومُركَّز—

Word by Word

• āśvayuk-śukla-pakṣe: in the bright fortnight of Āśvayuja
• āśvayuk-śukla-pakṣe: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśvayuj (प्रातिपदिक) + śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (locative), एकवचनम् (singular); तत्पुरुषः: आश्वयुजः शुक्लः पक्षः

• tu: indeed, and
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक (particle: emphasis/contrast)

• navamyām: on the ninth (lunar day)
• navamyām: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: navamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (locative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• niyata-ātmavān: one whose self is disciplined
• niyata-ātmavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niyata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yam, past passive participle) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular); बहुव्रीहिः: नियत आत्मा यस्य सः

• yaḥ: who (he)
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• tāḥ: those (feminine beings)
• tāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• pūjayate: worships
• pūjayate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• mātṝḥ: the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• mātṝḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• vidhinā: according to rule/rite
• vidhinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), एकवचनम् (singular)

• bhāvita-ātmavān: one whose self is purified/imbued (with devotion)
• bhāvita-ātmavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāvita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √bhū/√bhāv, past passive participle) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular); बहुव्रीहिः: भावित आत्मा यस्य सः

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mātṛgaṇa-sthāna near Arka-sthala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘priye’ interlocutor (as addressed in v.182.4)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-to-dawn Navamī setting: a disciplined pilgrim prepares offerings before a cluster of Mother-goddess icons; lamps, flowers, and a priestly arrangement indicate ‘vidhi’.

Characters & Entities

• Āśvayuja (month)
• Śukla Pakṣa
• Navamī
• Mātṛs (Mothers/Mātṛkās)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is strengthened when worship is performed with self-restraint, right timing, and a purified intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mātṛgaṇa shrine-site near Arka-sthala in Prabhāsa-kṣetra (from the surrounding context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship the Mothers on Āśvayuja Śukla Navamī, following proper ritual procedure and mental discipline.