Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

मन्त्रैर्विना षोडश सोपचारैः कार्या सुपूजा नरकादिहंतुः । यथा तथा वै गिरिजापतेश्च कार्या महा शूद्र महाघहंत्री

Transliteration

mantrairvinā ṣoḍaśa sopacāraiḥ kāryā supūjā narakādihaṃtuḥ | yathā tathā vai girijāpateśca kāryā mahā śūdra mahāghahaṃtrī

Translation

Auch ohne Mantras soll eine vortreffliche Pūjā mit den sechzehn traditionellen Darbringungen vollzogen werden; denn sie vernichtet Höllenbestimmungen und dergleichen. Ebenso, o großer Śūdra, soll die Verehrung des Herrn der Girijā (Śiva) vollzogen werden; sie ist ein großer Vernichter schwerer Sünden.

Word by Word

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय/पूर्वपद (preposition-like indeclinable), वियोगार्थ (without); सह पञ्चमी/तृतीया-प्रयोगः (usage varies)

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडशन् (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; here qualifying सोपचारैः (sixteen)

• सोपचारैः: with (sixteen) services/offerings
• सोपचारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष-समास (sa-upacāra = with offerings/attendances)

• कार्या: should be performed
• कार्या: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय-विशेषण (to be done)

• सुपूजा: proper worship
• सुपूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय-समास (su-pūjā = good worship)

• नरकादिहन्तुः: of the destroyer of hell etc. (the Lord)
• नरकादिहन्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक + आदि + हन्तृ (√हन् धातु + तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (narakādi-hantuḥ = of the destroyer of hell etc.)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; manner: 'as/how')

• तथा: so
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; 'so/in that way')

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• गिरिजापतेः: of Girijā’s lord (Śiva)
• गिरिजापतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (girijā-pati = husband of Girijā/Parvatī)

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

• कार्या: should be performed
• कार्या: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); (repetition for second clause)

• महाशूद्र: O great Śūdra
• महाशूद्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय-समास

• महाघहन्त्री: (worship) that destroys great sin
• महाघहन्त्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + अघ + हन्त्री (√हन् धातु + तृच्, स्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (mahāgha-hantrī = destroyer of great sin)

Speaker

Implied narrator within Brahmā–Nārada dialogue context (didactic instruction); likely Brahmā continuing the account

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to a 'mahā-śūdra' (honorific address within the dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers sixteen upacāras before a Śiva-liṅga: water-pot for abhiṣeka, flowers, incense, lamp, naivedya; the devotee’s humility contrasts with the radiance of Śiva as Girijā-pati; the atmosphere suggests purification and protection from naraka.

Characters & Entities

• Girijā (Pārvatī)
• Girijāpati (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere devotion expressed through proper worship can destroy severe sins even when mantra-recitation is not possible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya in the Nāgara Khaṇḍa, though this verse itself emphasizes Śiva-worship rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śiva-pūjā using the ṣoḍaśopacāra (sixteen offerings/services), even without mantras.