Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

सा पंचहायनं बालं वहंती गत भर्तृका । राज्ञा कृतां महापूजां ददर्श गिरिजापतेः

Transliteration

sā paṃcahāyanaṃ bālaṃ vahaṃtī gata bhartṛkā | rājñā kṛtāṃ mahāpūjāṃ dadarśa girijāpateḥ

Translation

Jene Witwe, ihr fünfjähriges Kind tragend, erblickte die große Verehrung Girijā-patis (Śivas), die der König dargebracht hatte.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• पञ्चहायनम्: five-year-old
• पञ्चहायनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca + hāyana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-तत्पुरुषसमासः (पञ्च हायनानि यस्य/पञ्चहायनः)

• बालम्: child
• बालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वहन्ती: carrying
• वहन्ती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vah (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमानकालिक-कर्तरि-प्रयोगः (carrying)

• गता: having gone
• गता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि (having gone)

• भर्तृका: having (her) husband
• भर्तृका: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + ka (तद्धित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (भर्तृक/भर्तृका = having a husband)

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• कृताम्: performed
• कृताम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि/विशेषणरूपेण (done/made)

• महापूजाम्: great worship
• महापूजाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (महती पूजाः)

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गिरिजापतेः: of Girijā’s lord (Śiva)
• गिरिजापतेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: girijā + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (गिरिजायाः पतिः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, unspecified in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A widowed woman carrying a small child stands at the edge of a royal encampment, watching an elaborate Śiva-pūjā—lamps, banners, priests, and offerings—directed to Girijā-pati.

Characters & Entities

• Girijā-pati (Śiva)
• King
• Widowed woman
• Child

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even merely witnessing sincere and grand worship of Śiva is portrayed as spiritually significant and auspicious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on the darśana of Śiva-pūjā performed by a king.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahā-pūjā (great ceremonial worship) of Śiva is referenced, though details are not specified in this verse.