Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

अष्टशृंगं महादेवि अनेन विधिनाऽर्चयेत् । प्रथमं पूजयेन्मध्ये मंत्रेणानेन सुव्रते

Transliteration

aṣṭaśṛṃgaṃ mahādevi anena vidhinā'rcayet | prathamaṃ pūjayenmadhye maṃtreṇānena suvrate

Translation

O Mahādevī, Aṣṭaśṛṅga soll nach eben dieser Vorschrift verehrt werden. Zuerst, o Tugendsame, verehre man die Mitte mit diesem Mantra.

Word by Word

• aṣṭaśṛṃgam: the eight-peaked (mountain/peak)
• aṣṭaśṛṃgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa-śṛṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: अष्ट + शृङ्ग (द्विगु; ‘eight-peaked’). नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• mahādevi: O great goddess
• mahādevi: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: महा + देवी (कर्मधारय). स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन

• anena: by this
• anena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (instrumental singular: ‘by this’)

• vidhinā: by the procedure
• vidhinā: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• arcayet: should worship
• arcayet: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• prathamam: first
• prathamam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयुक्तम् (adverbial accusative: ‘firstly’)

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• madhye: in the middle
• madhye: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (locative singular)

• maṃtreṇa: with the mantra
• maṃtreṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• anena: with this
• anena: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (instrumental singular: ‘with this’)

• suvrate: O virtuous one
• suvrate: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: सु + व्रत (कर्मधारय). स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṣṭaśṛṅga (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (addressed as suvratā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-priest in Prabhāsa establishes a central altar/maṇḍala before Aṣṭaśṛṅga, offering flowers and beginning the worship at the center while addressing Mahādevī.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī
• Aṣṭaśṛṅga
• Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual practice is strengthened by order and focus—beginning at the center symbolizes establishing the heart of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya setting, which frames such rites as tīrtha-supported dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Aṣṭaśṛṅga according to the given vidhi, beginning with a central worship performed with a specified mantra.