Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

त्वयाऽस्याः सततं भक्तिः कार्या दानव सत्तम । अष्टम्यां च विशेषेण चतुर्दश्यां च सर्वदा

Transliteration

tvayā'syāḥ satataṃ bhaktiḥ kāryā dānava sattama | aṣṭamyāṃ ca viśeṣeṇa caturdaśyāṃ ca sarvadā

Translation

Ô le meilleur des Dānavas, tu dois garder envers elle une dévotion constante, surtout en Aṣṭamī (huitième jour lunaire) et aussi en Caturdaśī (quatorzième), toujours.

Word by Word

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; (Instrumental singular)

• अस्याः: of this (goddess/her)
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; (Genitive singular, feminine)

• सततम्: always, continually
• सततम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (Nominative singular)

• कार्या: to be done / should be performed
• कार्या: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय) → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्-प्रत्ययान्त, ‘to be done’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; (Predicate adjective agreeing with भक्तिः)

• दानव: O demon
• दानव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• सत्तम: best, excellent
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन; (superlative used in address)

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (lunar day)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; (Locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial instrumental: ‘especially’)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (lunar day)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; (Locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• सर्वदा: at all times, always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Śukra (Bhārgava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dānava-ādhipa (lord of Dānavas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śukra instructs the Dānava lord to keep constant devotion to Devī, highlighting Aṣṭamī and Caturdaśī; a calendrical motif (moon phases) frames the counsel.

Characters & Entities

• Śukra
• Kelīśvarī Devī
• Aṣṭamī
• Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is strengthened through regular, time-sacralized observance; devotion aligned with sacred tithis becomes especially fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction pertains to Kelīśvarī Devī’s tīrtha-context in the Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotion/worship to the Goddess is prescribed particularly on Aṣṭamī and Caturdaśī tithis.