Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

श्रीमुखं नाम तद्द्वारं रक्ष्यते मातृभिः प्रिये । वर्षमेकं चतुर्द्दश्यां नियमाद्यस्तु पूजयेत्

Transliteration

śrīmukhaṃ nāma taddvāraṃ rakṣyate mātṛbhiḥ priye | varṣamekaṃ caturddaśyāṃ niyamādyastu pūjayet

Translation

That gateway is called Śrīmukha, beloved, and it is guarded by the Mothers. Whoever, with disciplined observance, worships there on the fourteenth lunar day for one full year—

Word by Word

• śrīmukham: the auspicious-faced (place/name) ‘Śrīmukha’
• śrīmukham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1/2), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (śrī + mukha)

• nāma: named; called
• nāma: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः ‘called/namely’ इत्यर्थे (indeclinable particle)

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• dvāram: gate; doorway
• dvāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• rakṣyate: is protected/guarded
• rakṣyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• mātṛbhiḥ: by the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• mātṛbhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3), बहुवचन

• priye: O dear one
• priye: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8), एकवचन

• varṣam: for a year
• varṣam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन; काल-परिमाण (duration)

• ekam: one
• ekam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• caturdaśyām: on the fourteenth lunar day
• caturdaśyām: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturdaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7), एकवचन; तिथि-नाम

• niyamāt: by observance; according to rule
• niyamāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5), एकवचन; ‘rule/observance’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• tu: indeed; but
• tu: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle)

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Prabhāsa Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīmukha-dvāra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as priye)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred gateway labeled Śrīmukha, flanked by fierce yet benevolent Mātṛkās; a devotee stands with folded hands, counting months on a rosary/calendar, indicating year-long caturdaśī worship.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīmukha (dvāra)
• Mātṛs (Mother goddesses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, time-bound worship with self-discipline at a sanctified threshold is portrayed as a powerful path to spiritual accomplishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The gateway named Śrīmukha in the Arkasthala/Prabhāsa sacred complex, guarded by the Mātṛs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship on caturdaśī (the 14th lunar day) with niyama (disciplined observance) for one year.