Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

चैत्रमास त्रयोदश्यां शुक्लायां वरवर्णिनि । पूजयेद्विधिवद्भक्त्या पौंडरीकफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

caitramāsa trayodaśyāṃ śuklāyāṃ varavarṇini | pūjayedvidhivadbhaktyā pauṃḍarīkaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

O du schönfarbige Frau, am dreizehnten Tag der hellen Monatshälfte (Śukla) im Monat Caitra soll man nach rechter Vorschrift in Bhakti verehren; dadurch erlangt man die Frucht, die dem Puṇḍarīka-Opfer gleichkommt.

Word by Word

• चैत्रमासे: in the month of Caitra
• चैत्रमासे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र-मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चैत्रस्य मासः)

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth lunar day
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• शुक्लायाम्: in the bright (fortnight)
• शुक्लायाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘त्रयोदशी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (in the bright fortnight)

• वरवर्णिनि: O fair-complexioned lady
• वरवर्णिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-वर्णिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वरा वर्णिनी)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विधिवत्: according to proper rite
• विधिवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘according to rule’)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• पौण्डरीकफलम्: the fruit (merit) of a pauṇḍarīka (lotus/lotus-like reward)
• पौण्डरीकफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौण्डरीक-फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पौण्डरीकस्य फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāpahara-liṅga (Aruṇa-pratiṣṭhita) near Siddhaliṅga, Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bright half of Caitra, trayodaśī: devotees arrive with fresh bilva and flowers; a priest performs abhiṣeka and arcana at the liṅga, while a symbolic yajña-fire motif in the background hints at Puṇḍarīka-phala equivalence.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Caitra (month)
• Trayodaśī
• Puṇḍarīka (yajña/merit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual discipline (vidhi) joined with devotion (bhakti) magnifies merit, making a simple pūjā equal to great Vedic-scale results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is Prabhāsa-kṣetra in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya; the rite pertains to worship at the local liṅga/shrine being described in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform vidhivat pūjā on Caitra month, bright fortnight, Trayodaśī (13th tithi), with bhakti, to gain Puṇḍarīka-level merit.