Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पूजायां वर्तमानायां चतुर्दश्यां महातिथौ । अपश्यमुत्सवं दूराद्बहिर्द्वारं समाश्रितः

Transliteration

pūjāyāṃ vartamānāyāṃ caturdaśyāṃ mahātithau | apaśyamutsavaṃ dūrādbahirdvāraṃ samāśritaḥ

Translation

«Alors que le culte se déroulait au grand jour sacré du quatorzième tithi, j’aperçus de loin la fête, demeurant près du portail extérieur.»

Word by Word

• पूजायाम्: during the worship
• पूजायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• वर्तमानायाम्: while (it) was going on
• वर्तमानायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्यय (Present middle participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• महातिथौ: on the great festival day
• महातिथौ: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; ‘महती तिथिः’

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• अपश्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• उत्सवम्: festival, celebration
• उत्सवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• दूरात्: from afar
• दूरात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-निभम्; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (Ablatival adverb: from afar)

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb: outside)

• द्वारम्: the gate
• द्वारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• समाश्रितः: having taken refuge / stationed
• समाश्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

The King (continuing his account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-mandira (Pampā-nagara)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: वरानना

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Festival scene: decorated gateway, flags, garlands, lamps; devotees inside performing pūjā; the dog sits outside the outer gate watching from a distance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva temple
• caturdaśī (14th tithi)
• utsava (festival)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (tithi) and sacred place (Śiva temple) together amplify spiritual merit; even witnessing worship can become transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śiva temple in the Pampā area, especially during its festival worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Festival worship on caturdaśī is indicated (pūjā and utsava), though no detailed vow is prescribed in this verse.