Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

योगिन्यस्तत्र रक्षंति ब्राह्म्याद्या मातरस्तथा । माघेकृष्णचतुर्दश्यां रात्रौ मातृगणान्यजेत् । बलिपुष्पोपहारैश्च ततः सिद्धिर्भविष्यति

Transliteration

yoginyastatra rakṣaṃti brāhmyādyā mātarastathā | māghekṛṣṇacaturdaśyāṃ rātrau mātṛgaṇānyajet | balipuṣpopahāraiśca tataḥ siddhirbhaviṣyati

Translation

Dort wachen die Yoginīs als Hüterinnen, und ebenso die Müttergöttinnen, beginnend mit Brāhmī. In der Nacht des vierzehnten Tages der dunklen Monatshälfte im Māgha soll man die Schar der Mütter mit Bali-Gaben, Blumen und weiteren Opfergaben verehren; dann wird Siddhi erwachsen.

Word by Word

• yoginyaḥ: the yoginīs
• yoginyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoginī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• rakṣanti: protect
• rakṣanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• brāhmī-ādyāḥ: beginning with Brāhmī
• brāhmī-ādyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brāhmī (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘आदि’समासान्त (beginning with Brāhmī)

• mātaraḥ: the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• mātaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• tathā: also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/उपमानार्थ-अव्यय (also/likewise)

• māghe: in (the month of) Māgha
• māghe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (मासवाचक), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• kṛṣṇa-caturdaśyām: on the Kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī (14th of the dark fortnight)
• kṛṣṇa-caturdaśyām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + caturdaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृष्णा चतुर्दशी (dark-fortnight fourteenth)

• rātrau: at night
• rātrau: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (वैकल्पिक-रूप: rātrau)

• mātṛ-gaṇān: the groups of Mothers
• mātṛ-gaṇān: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; मातॄणां गणाः (groups of Mothers)

• yajet: should worship
• yajet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yaj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• bali-puṣpa-upahāraiḥ: with bali-offerings, flowers, and gifts
• bali-puṣpa-upahāraiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + upahāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (offerings: bali, flowers, gifts)

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

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/अनन्तरार्थ-अव्यय (thereupon/then)

• siddhiḥ: success/accomplishment
• siddhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī/Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mātṛ/Yoginī-rakṣita-sthāna near Pātāla-dvāra, Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A nocturnal shrine-space near a fissure, encircled by Yoginīs as guardians; the Saptamātṛkās (Brāhmī onward) seated or standing in a semicircle; a devotee offers bali, flowers, and lamps on Māgha kṛṣṇa caturdaśī night; siddhi symbolized as a rising light or halo.

Characters & Entities

• Yoginīs
• Brāhmī
• Mātṛkās (Mothers)
• Māgha
• Kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protective divine feminine powers (Yoginīs and Mātṛkās) are honored through timely, disciplined worship that culminates in siddhi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A protected spot within Prabhāsa-kṣetra associated with Yoginīs and the Mātṛkā-gaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship the Mātṛkās on Māgha kṛṣṇa caturdaśī night using bali-offerings, flowers, and other upahāras to obtain siddhi.