Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

उपोषितः शुचिर्भूत्वा सोमवारे जितेंद्रियः । वैदिकैर्लौकिकैर्वापि विधिवत्पूजयेच्छिवम्

Transliteration

upoṣitaḥ śucirbhūtvā somavāre jiteṃdriyaḥ | vaidikairlaukikairvāpi vidhivatpūjayecchivam

Translation

Nachdem man am Montag gefastet, sich gereinigt und die Sinne bezwungen hat, soll man Śiva nach rechter Vorschrift verehren — sei es durch vedische Riten oder durch volkstümliche (laukika) Observanzen.

Word by Word

• उपोषितः: having fasted
• उपोषितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√वस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि-भावे (PPP; Masculine, Nominative singular; 'having fasted')

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having become)

• सोमवारे: on Monday
• सोमवारे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम-वार (प्रातिपदिक; सोम + वार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative singular)

• जितेन्द्रियः: self-controlled
• जितेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित-इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; जित + इन्द्रिय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यस्य इन्द्रियाणि जितानि सः (Masculine, Nominative singular; bahuvrihi: 'one whose senses are conquered')

• वैदिकैः: with Vedic (rites)
• वैदिकैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Instrumental plural; qualifying विधिभिः understood)

• लौकिकैः: with worldly (rites)
• लौकिकैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लौकिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Instrumental plural)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (indeclinable disjunctive: or)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अवधानार्थक (indeclinable: also/even)

• विधिवत्: properly, as prescribed
• विधिवत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: according to rule)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, 3rd person singular; 'should worship')

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somavāra-Śiva-vrata / Somavāra-arcana

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee on Monday after bathing, calm and restrained, prepares a pūjā tray; a priest demonstrates Vedic mantra-arcana while another devotee performs simple laukika offerings—both before the same Śiva-liṅga, showing inclusivity under ‘vidhivat’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Somavāra (Monday)
• Vaidika (Vedic rites)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discipline—fasting, purity, and sense-control—strengthens devotion, making Monday worship of Śiva especially fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular holy site is mentioned; the verse glorifies a vrata and proper worship-method rather than a geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On Monday: observe fasting (upavāsa), maintain purity, restrain the senses, and worship Śiva properly using either Vedic or customary rites.