Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा अपिदेवेश मद्यमांसेन भक्तितः । ताभ्यां पूजां प्रकुर्वंति प्रयांति परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā apideveśa madyamāṃsena bhaktitaḥ | tābhyāṃ pūjāṃ prakurvaṃti prayāṃti paramāṃ gatim

Translation

O Herr der Götter, selbst Brahmanen verehren jene Pādukās in hingebungsvoller Bhakti mit Wein und Fleisch als Opfergabe und gelangen zum höchsten Ziel.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• देवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• मद्य: wine; liquor
• मद्य: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद

• मांसेन: with wine and meat
• मांसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘मद्यमांसेन’ = मद्य + मांस (द्वन्द्व, समाहार) तृतीया एकवचन

• भक्तितः: out of devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (from/through devotion)

• ताभ्याम्: by/with those two (them)
• ताभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया/पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Instr./Abl.), द्विवचन (Dual); ‘(अम्बा-मातृभ्याम्)’ इत्यर्थे

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: they perform
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Karma-kāraka (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• प्रयान्ति: they attain; they go
• प्रयान्ति: Karma-kāraka (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (गतिम्)

• गतिम्: state; destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ambā-Mātṛkā Pādukā at Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maheśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrative tableau of devotees—some marked as brāhmaṇas—offering at the Pādukā shrine; the scene is charged with paradox: outwardly transgressive offerings juxtaposed with an inner radiance suggesting ‘paramā gati’.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Maheśvara (implied addressee as Deveśa)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Pādukā
• Ambā (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse emphasizes the transformative power of devotion at a specific śakti-tīrtha, presenting the site’s potency as overriding ordinary expectations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Pādukā shrine in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra associated with Ambā and the Mātṛkās.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions pūjā to the Pādukās using offerings described as madya (liquor) and māṃsa (meat), framed as being done with bhakti.