Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

गुरुणा चोक्तमार्गेण मातॄणां पूजनं कृतम् । नानोपहारैर्विविधैः प्रतिष्ठाविधिपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

guruṇā coktamārgeṇa mātṝṇāṃ pūjanaṃ kṛtam | nānopahārairvividhaiḥ pratiṣṭhāvidhipūrvakam

Translation

Selon la voie enseignée par le maître, on accomplit le culte des Mères (Mātṛkās), avec des offrandes diverses, conformément aux rites d’installation et de consécration.

Word by Word

• गुरुणा: by the teacher
• गुरुणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक conjunction)

• उक्तमार्गेण: by the prescribed method/path
• उक्तमार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त, √वच्) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः— ‘उक्तः मार्गः’ (the prescribed path)

• मातॄणाम्: of the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातॄणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पूजनम्: worship
• पूजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक; √पूज्-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कृतम्: was performed/done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः — ‘was done’

• नानोपहारैः: with various offerings
• नानोपहारैः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना + उपहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः— ‘नानाविधाः उपहाराः’

• विविधैः: diverse
• विविधैः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘उपहारैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रतिष्ठाविधिपूर्वकम्: preceded by the consecration rite
• प्रतिष्ठाविधिपूर्वकम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रतिष्ठा + विधि + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणवत् नपुंसक-एकवचन-रूपेण) — ‘प्रतिष्ठा-विधि-पूर्वक’ = consecration-rite as prior; तृतीय-तत्पुरुष-भावः (पूर्वक = with/preceded by)

Speaker

Narratorial voice (Purāṇic narrator; speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Harikṣetra (Mātṛkā-sthāna within)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecration pavilion: priests arrange offerings; Rāma participates reverently as the Mātṛkās are worshipped with varied upacāras, following the guru’s indicated procedure and installation rites.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Guru (teacher)
• Mātṛs / Mātṛkās

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power is safeguarded by lineage and method—worship is most fruitful when done as taught by a competent guru.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Dharmāraṇya/Harikṣetra setting, emphasizing its suitability for consecration and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mātṛkā-pūjā performed with varied offerings, explicitly joined to pratiṣṭhā-vidhi (installation/consecration procedure).