Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अष्टमूर्त्यष्टकं दिक्षु सोमनाथं सशक्तिकम् । उमया सहितं तत्र श्वेतपुष्पैश्च पूजयेत्

Transliteration

aṣṭamūrtyaṣṭakaṃ dikṣu somanāthaṃ saśaktikam | umayā sahitaṃ tatra śvetapuṣpaiśca pūjayet

Translation

في الجهات كلها، ينبغي أن يُعبَدَ جمعُ الأشكال الثمانية (أشتامورتي)؛ ثم تُقام العبادة لسومناثا مع شاكتيه، وبصحبة أُما، مع تقديم الزهور البيضاء هناك.

Word by Word

• aṣṭa-mūrti-aṣṭakam: the set of eight forms (of Śiva)
• aṣṭa-mūrti-aṣṭakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + mūrti (प्रातिपदिक) + aṣṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; समासः—द्विगु (अष्टमूर्तीनाम् अष्टकम्)

• dikṣu: in the directions
• dikṣu: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), बहुवचनम्

• somanātham: Somanātha
• somanātham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक) + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सोमस्य नाथः)

• sa-śaktikam: together with (his) Śakti
• sa-śaktikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘सह’) + śaktika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; ‘स’ = सहार्थक-उपपद (with)

• umayā: with Umā
• umayā: Sahakāraka (Instrumental of accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: umā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/सह), एकवचनम्

• sahitam: accompanied (by)
• sahitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahita (कृदन्त; √sah (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• tatra: there
• tatra: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• śveta-puṣpaiḥ: with white flowers
• śveta-puṣpaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śveta (प्रातिपदिक) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), बहुवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारय (श्वेतानि पुष्पाणि)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somnātha (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mandala-like worship scene: in eight directions, symbols of Śiva’s Aṣṭamūrti are honored; at the center, Somnātha liṅga with Umā/Śakti presence is offered white flowers, creating a radiant, ordered cosmos around the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Somnātha
• Śiva (Aṣṭamūrti)
• Śakti
• Umā (Pārvatī)
• Directions (dik)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is to be honored as cosmic (eightfold) and relational—worshipped with Śakti/Umā—through reverent offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somnātha at Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dik-pūjā of the Aṣṭamūrti set and worship Somnātha with Śakti and Umā using white flowers.