Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

हृष्टा मातृगणा ये च अष्टषष्टिप्रमाणतः । पूज्यंते ये च गन्धर्वैः सिद्धैः साध्यैर्मरुद्गणैः

Transliteration

hṛṣṭā mātṛgaṇā ye ca aṣṭaṣaṣṭipramāṇataḥ | pūjyaṃte ye ca gandharvaiḥ siddhaiḥ sādhyairmarudgaṇaiḥ

Translation

Voller Freude waren jene Scharen der Mütter—achtundsechzig an der Zahl—die von Gandharvas, Siddhas, Sādhyas und den Marut-Heerscharen verehrt werden.

Word by Word

• हृष्टाः: delighted
• हृष्टाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √हृष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि/भावे (past participle) — 'delighted'

• मातृगणाः: groups of Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृगणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मातॄणां गणाः)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अष्टषष्टि-प्रमाणतः: in number sixty-eight / as measured by sixty-eight
• अष्टषष्टि-प्रमाणतः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अष्टषष्टि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त-अव्यय; तस्-प्रत्यय (ablatival adverb) — 'according to measure/number'; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अष्टषष्टेः प्रमाणम्)

• पूज्यन्ते: are worshipped
• पूज्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गन्धर्वैः: by Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (instrumental)

• सिद्धैः: by Siddhas
• सिद्धैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• साध्यैः: by Sādhyas
• साध्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• मरुद्गणैः: by the groups of Maruts
• मरुद्गणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मरुतां गणाः)

Speaker

Unclear from snippet (deduced: Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant assembly of sixty-eight Mātṛkās, joyous and resplendent, being venerated by Gandharvas, Siddhas, Sādhyas, and Marut hosts; a celestial-lit ritual atmosphere with garlands, incense, and hovering musicians.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛgaṇas (Mātṛkās)
• Gandharvas
• Siddhas
• Sādhyas
• Maruts

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places can become meeting points of cosmic worship where even celestial classes honor divine śaktis (the Mothers), indicating the site’s extraordinary sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse describes a sacred assembly in the chapter’s kṣetra context but does not provide a distinct tīrtha name in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (pūjā) of the Mātṛgaṇas is implied; no detailed ritual procedure is stated.