Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एतेन स्तोत्रमुख्येन स्मृता सा परमेश्वरी । बहूनि वर्ष पूगानि पूजयंत्या दिनेदिने

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | etena stotramukhyena smṛtā sā parameśvarī | bahūni varṣa pūgāni pūjayaṃtyā dinedine

Translation

Sūta dit : Par cet hymne souverain, la Déesse Suprême fut invoquée et rappelée à la mémoire—elle qui, jour après jour, fut adorée durant d’innombrables myriades d’années.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एतेन: by this
• एतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्तोत्रमुख्येन: by the principal hymn
• स्तोत्रमुख्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (मुख्यं स्तोत्रम् = chief hymn)

• स्मृता: was remembered
• स्मृता: Kriya (passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (P.P.P. क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (having been remembered)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परमेश्वरी: the Supreme Goddess
• परमेश्वरी: Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परमा ईश्वरी)

• बहूनि: many
• बहूनि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (वर्षपूगानि)

• वर्षपूगानि: multitudes of years
• वर्षपूगानि: Karma/Extent (measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + पूग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वर्षाणां पूगाः = heaps/collections of years)

• पूजयन्त्या: by (her) worshipping
• पूजयन्त्या: Kartr-karana (Agent in instrumental)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle, शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि (by one who is worshipping)

• दिने: in (each) day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• दिने: day by day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (दिने दिने = day by day)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (standard purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates to assembled sages; in parallel, a devotee continues day-by-day worship before Devī’s shrine across years—garlands, lamps, and offerings accumulating as a visual metaphor for time and devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Parameśvarī (Devī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistent remembrance and daily worship, supported by sacred hymns, sustains devotion and draws the Goddess’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha setting is implied by the Tīrthamāhātmya context, but the verse itself does not specify the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily pūjā (day-by-day worship) and recitation/usage of a principal stotra are highlighted as ongoing devotional disciplines.