Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यां तस्याभीष्टं भविष्यति । युद्धकालेऽथ संप्राप्ते स्तोत्रेणानेन ते स्तुतिम्

Transliteration

aṣṭamyāṃ ca caturdaśyāṃ tasyābhīṣṭaṃ bhaviṣyati | yuddhakāle'tha saṃprāpte stotreṇānena te stutim

Translation

Am achten und am vierzehnten Mondtag wird sein ersehntes Ziel in Erfüllung gehen. Und wenn die Stunde der Schlacht herannaht, soll durch eben diesen Hymnus dein Lobpreis dargebracht werden.

Word by Word

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• च: and
• च: Discourse connector (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• तस्य: for him / his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अभीष्टम्: the desired (boon)
• अभीष्टम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभीष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; इच्छित-वस्तु

• भविष्यति: will be / will happen
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• युद्धकाले: at the time of battle
• युद्धकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (युद्धस्य काले)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (Avyaya/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• संप्राप्ते: when (it) has come / on arrival
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Absolute locative/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्त (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when it has arrived)

• स्तोत्रेण: with a hymn
• स्तोत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; स्तोत्रेण इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• स्तुतिम्: praise / eulogy
• स्तुतिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Devadeva (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kelīśvarī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-time temple worship on Aṣṭamī/Caturdaśī: lamps blaze, devotees offer red flowers and incense to Kelīśvarī; a warrior/king recites a hymn with folded hands, visualizing the goddess as a shield before battle.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Devadeva)
• Kelīśvarī (Goddess)
• Aṣṭamī
• Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through timely worship and stotra becomes a source of siddhi (fulfillment) and protection, even amid worldly danger like battle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is within a Tīrthamāhātmya context of Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but the verse itself highlights sacred timing (tithi) and hymn-recitation rather than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship/observance on Aṣṭamī and Caturdaśī, and recitation of ‘this stotra’ especially when facing battle.