Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यां रुद्राः पूज्या विचक्षणैः । तस्मिन्क्षेत्रे विशेषेण वांछद्भिः परमं पदम्

Transliteration

aṣṭamyāṃ ca caturdaśyāṃ rudrāḥ pūjyā vicakṣaṇaiḥ | tasminkṣetre viśeṣeṇa vāṃchadbhiḥ paramaṃ padam

Translation

« Aux huitième et quatorzième jours lunaires, les Rudras doivent être honorés par les clairvoyants — tout spécialement en ce champ sacré — par ceux qui aspirent à l’état suprême. »

Word by Word

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (lunar day)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

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

• रुद्राः: the Rudras
• रुद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पूज्याः: are to be worshipped
• पूज्याः: Vidhyartha (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त; √पूज् धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive; ‘to be worshipped’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विचक्षणैः: by the discerning (people)
• विचक्षणैः: Karana (Agent/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षेत्रे: in the field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial instrumental)

• वाञ्छद्भिः: by those desiring
• वाञ्छद्भिः: Karana (Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाञ्छत् (कृदन्त; √वाञ्छ् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पदम्: state/abode
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from immediate narrative frame in Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-time Aṣṭamī/Caturdaśī worship: devotees offer bilva leaves and lamps to Rudras/Śiva in the kṣetra; a luminous liṅga or Rudra forms radiate, suggesting the ‘supreme state’.

Characters & Entities

• Rudras
• Aṣṭamī
• Caturdaśī
• Parama-pada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right-timed worship of Śaiva divine forms (Rudras) at a tīrtha is presented as a direct means toward the highest spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is situated in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra / Amareśvara-kuṇḍa Māhātmya narrative in Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of the Rudras specifically on Aṣṭamī and Caturdaśī, with special emphasis on performing it in that kṣetra.