Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

अनया प्रियया सार्धं पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः । पूजयित्वा महाकालं सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्

Transliteration

anayā priyayā sārdhaṃ puṣpadhūpānulepanaiḥ | pūjayitvā mahākālaṃ satyametanmayoditam

Translation

Avec cette bien-aimée, après avoir adoré Mahākāla par des fleurs, de l’encens et des onguents parfumés, je déclare que ceci est la vérité.

Word by Word

• अनया: with this (woman)
• अनया: Sahakarana (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• प्रियया: with (my) beloved
• प्रियया: Sahakarana (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (with the beloved)

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sambandha (Comitative particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (together with)

• पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः: with flowers, incense, and unguents
• पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प + धूप + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (instr. pl.); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (flowers, incense, and unguents)

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘पूजयित्वा’ = having worshipped

• महाकालम्: Mahākāla
• महाकालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (acc. sg.); कर्मधारयः (‘महान् कालः’)

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nom. sg.); विधेय (predicate noun)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st)/द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (this (statement))

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• उदितम्: said/uttered
• उदितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-इ (धातु) → उदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (has been said/uttered)

Speaker

Rājā (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ (implied continuation of address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The royal couple stands before Mahākāla’s liṅga, offering flowers, incense smoke curling upward, and fragrant unguents; the narrator gestures as if taking an oath—‘this is truth’.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship offered with sincerity—especially when shared in dharmic companionship—becomes a verified path of merit, affirmed as “truth” by the narrator.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla’s sanctified domain within the chapter’s Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the verse emphasizes the deity-focused worship at the sacred locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of Mahākāla using puṣpa (flowers), dhūpa (incense), and anulepana (unguents/anointing).