Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अतः पूजा जपो होमस्तत्कथास्तद्गुणस्तवः । कर्त्तव्यो नियतं मर्त्यैश्चतुर्वर्गफला र्थिभिः

Transliteration

ataḥ pūjā japo homastatkathāstadguṇastavaḥ | karttavyo niyataṃ martyaiścaturvargaphalā rthibhiḥ

Translation

Ainsi, l’adoration, le japa, le homa, les récits à Son sujet et les hymnes à Ses qualités doivent assurément être accomplis par les mortels qui désirent les fruits des quatre buts de l’existence : dharma, artha, kāma et mokṣa.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक (therefore/from this)

• पूजा: worship
• पूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जपः: recitation
• जपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• होमः: fire-offering
• होमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्-कथाः: his stories
• तत्-कथाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कथा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य कथाः)

• तत्-गुण-स्तवः: praise of his qualities
• तत्-गुण-स्तवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य गुणानां स्तवः)

• कर्तव्यः: to be done / should be performed
• कर्तव्यः: Kriya (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (कर्तव्यः = should be done)

• नियमम्: regularly / with rule
• नियमम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (accusative of manner)

• मर्त्यैः: by mortals
• मर्त्यैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• चतुर्वर्ग-फल-अर्थिभिः: by those desiring the fruits of the four aims of life
• चतुर्वर्ग-फल-अर्थिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्-वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक; समास) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चतुर्वर्गस्य फलम् अर्थयन्ति ये तैः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A human devotee at twilight performing a complete pradoṣa sādhana sequence: offering lamp and bilva leaves, counting japa beads, a small homa fire, and a reciter reading Śiva-kathā; the four puruṣārthas symbolically present as emblems (dharma-śāstra, prosperity, family joy, and a lotus of liberation).

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied by 'tat')
• Caturvarga (dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A complete devotional life—ritual, mantra, offering, and sacred narration—leads to fulfillment of the four aims, culminating in liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the emphasis is on pradoṣa-centered Śaiva practice applicable broadly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pūjā, japa, homa, listen/recite divine kathā, and sing guṇa-stava—regularly, with the goal of caturvarga.