Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

पश्चात्पूजयते भक्त्त्या प्रसिद्धे सिद्धिपादुके । सुगुप्ते गर्तमध्यस्थे कुमार्या परिपूजिते

Transliteration

paścātpūjayate bhakttyā prasiddhe siddhipāduke | sugupte gartamadhyasthe kumāryā paripūjite

Translation

Ensuite, avec dévotion, on doit vénérer la célèbre « Siddhi-Pādukā », bien dissimulée, placée au cœur d’une cavité, et pleinement honorée par la jeune fille.

Word by Word

• paścāt: afterwards
• paścāt: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of sequence: 'afterwards')

• pūjayate: is worshipped / one worships
• pūjayate: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• prasiddhe: in the renowned (place/spot)
• prasiddhe: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prasiddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the place/thing)

• siddhipāduke: at the Siddhi-Pādukā (sandals of attainment)
• siddhipāduke: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + pādukā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (siddheḥ pādukā = 'sandals of success')

• sugupte: in the well-hidden (spot)
• sugupte: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + gupta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (well-hidden/secure)

• garta-madhya-sthe: situated in the middle of a pit
• garta-madhya-sthe: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garta (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (garta-madhye sthitam = 'situated in the middle of a pit')

• kumāryā: by a maiden
• kumāryā: Kartā (Agent, in passive construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण/कर्ता-हेतौ), एकवचन

• paripūjite: in the fully worshipped (state/place)
• paripūjite: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari + pūj (धातु) → paripūjita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (fully worshipped)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddhi-Pādukā

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (twice-borns) implied as audience in the surrounding narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, hands folded, discovers a famed yet hidden pair of pādukās set within a small hollow in the earth/rock; a maiden (kumārī) is shown as the archetypal worshipper, indicating purity and śakti-presence.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhi-pādukā
• Kumārikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not only travel but a sequence of reverent acts—bathing followed by devoted worship—leading toward siddhi and inner refinement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Siddhi-pādukā shrine/object associated with the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After bathing, perform bhakti-filled pūjā of the renowned Siddhi-pādukā located in a concealed hollow.