Shloka 53

Devanagari script

कृत्तिकाभौमवारेषु स्कंदस्य यजनान्नृणाम् । दीपघंटादिदानाद्वै वाक्सिद्धिरचिराद्भवेत्

Transliteration

kṛttikābhaumavāreṣu skaṃdasya yajanānnṛṇām | dīpaghaṃṭādidānādvai vāksiddhiracirādbhavet

Translation

When the Kṛttikā asterism coincides with Tuesday, if people worship Skanda, then by gifting items such as lamps and bells, mastery and effectiveness of speech (vāk-siddhi) is attained without delay.

Word by Word

• कृत्तिकाभौमवारेषु: on Kṛttikā and Tuesday days
• कृत्तिकाभौमवारेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिका-भौम-वार (प्रातिपदिक; कृत्तिका + भौम + वार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; (masculine, locative plural)

• स्कंदस्य: of Skanda
• स्कंदस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; (masculine, genitive singular)

• यजनात्: from worship/sacrifice
• यजनात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; (neuter, ablative singular)

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; (masculine, genitive plural)

• दीपघण्टादिदानात्: from giving lamps, bells, etc.
• दीपघण्टादिदानात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप-घण्टा-आदि-दान (प्रातिपदिक; दीप + घण्टा + आदि + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; (neuter, ablative singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis/indeed)

• वाक्सिद्धिः: power of speech/eloquence
• वाक्सिद्धिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्-सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक; वाक् + सिद्धि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; (feminine, nominative singular)

• अचिरात्: soon/quickly
• अचिरात्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time), पञ्चमी-प्रयोगवत् (ablatival adverb)

• भवेत्: would arise/should occur
• भवेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami (continuing the Shiva Purana’s instructional narration on observances and their fruits)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; it prescribes Skanda-worship on a specific astral conjunction (Kṛttikā + Tuesday) and dāna (lamp, bell, etc.) for vāk-siddhi.

Significance: Skanda is treated as Śiva’s śakti/tejas in martial-protective mode; vāk-siddhi here is best read as purified, truthful, efficacious speech supportive of mantra, teaching, and dharma.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Characters & Entities

• Kartikeya (Skanda)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches that disciplined worship (yajana) combined with sattvic charity (dāna) refines inner purity, and that purified intention manifests outwardly as vāk-siddhi—truthful, effective speech aligned with dharma.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Skanda is revered within the Shaiva fold as a divine power allied to Lord Shiva’s saguna expression; honoring Skanda on an auspicious time is treated as a limb of Shaiva devotion, where ritual worship and offerings support spiritual maturation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Skanda worship on a Kṛttikā-Tuesday, and donate a lamp (dīpa) and bell (ghaṇṭā) or similar temple-use items; as a takeaway, cultivate truthful mantra-like speech and avoid harsh or false words to support vāk-siddhi.