Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तां देवीं ध्यायमानस्तु पूजयानो दिवानिशम् । अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यां विशेषेण महाबलः

Transliteration

tāṃ devīṃ dhyāyamānastu pūjayāno divāniśam | aṣṭamyāṃ ca caturdaśyāṃ viśeṣeṇa mahābalaḥ

Translation

Ce puissant héros, méditant la Déesse et lui rendant un culte jour et nuit, le faisait avec une ferveur particulière aux jours d’Aṣṭamī et de Caturdaśī.

Word by Word

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• देवीम्: goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• ध्यायमानः: meditating (on)
• ध्यायमानः: Karta (Agent as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + शानच् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, शानच्); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्तरि (meditating)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• पूजयानः: worshipping
• पूजयानः: Karta (Agent as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + शानच् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, शानच्); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्तरि (worshipping)

• दिवानिशम्: day and night
• दिवानिशम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा + निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास; अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (continually)

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन; तिथिवाचक (on the eighth lunar day)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; तिथिवाचक (on the fourteenth lunar day)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (instrumental used adverbially: especially)

• महाबलः: mighty; of great strength
• महाबलः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: महा (great) + बल (strength)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महत् बलं यस्य/महाबलः); कर्तृविशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within the story)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful kingly figure sits in meditation before a Devī shrine, offering lamps and flowers continuously; calendar-like motifs highlight Aṣṭamī and Caturdaśī nights with fuller rites.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Aṣṭamī
• Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained devotion (dhyāna and pūjā) gains added शक्ति when aligned with sacred tithis, showing the Purāṇic harmony of time and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing worship belongs to the Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya account centered on Kelīśvarī Devī’s sacred presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devī dhyāna and pūjā, with special observance on Aṣṭamī and Caturdaśī.