Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अष्टम्यां वा चतुर्द्दश्यां पूज्योऽसौ बलिभिर्नरैः । वांछितार्थप्रदः सम्यक्स कलौ कल्पपादपः

Transliteration

aṣṭamyāṃ vā caturddaśyāṃ pūjyo'sau balibhirnaraiḥ | vāṃchitārthapradaḥ samyaksa kalau kalpapādapaḥ

Translation

في اليوم الثامن أو الرابع عشر من الشهر القمري، ينبغي للناس أن يعبدوه بقرابين (bali)؛ فهو يمنح المقاصد المنشودة حقًّا، كالشجرة المُحقِّقة للأماني في عصر كالي.

Word by Word

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• पूज्यः: worthy to be worshipped
• पूज्यः: Vidhyartha-Predicate (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त; √पूज् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive potential participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'to be worshipped'

• असौ: he/that one
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• बलिभिः: with offerings
• बलिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent, in passive sense)/कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• वाञ्छितार्थप्रदः: giver of desired aims
• वाञ्छितार्थप्रदः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाञ्छित + अर्थ + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वाञ्छितस्य अर्थस्य प्रदः = giver of desired object); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सम्यक्: properly, fully
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• कल्पपादपः: a wish-fulfilling tree
• कल्पपादपः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प + पादप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (कल्पः पादपः = wish-fulfilling tree); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kālamegha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-time aṣṭamī/caturdaśī worship: devotees approach the kṣetrapāla-liṅga with bali offerings, lamps flicker, the sky is dark like a rain cloud; the liṅga radiates protective power, granting boons.

Characters & Entities

• Kālamegha
• Aṣṭamī
• Caturdaśī
• Bali
• Kali-yuga
• Kalpavṛkṣa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in Kali-yuga, disciplined worship on prescribed tithis is upheld as an effective path to attain legitimate aims through divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kālamegha, the kṣetrapāla-liṅga associated with Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pūjā to Kālamegha on Aṣṭamī or Caturdaśī, offering bali.