Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

चतुर्दश्यां विधानेन कृष्णपक्षे यतात्मवान् । पूजयेद्गन्धपुष्पैश्च बलिदानैस्तथोत्तमैः

Transliteration

caturdaśyāṃ vidhānena kṛṣṇapakṣe yatātmavān | pūjayedgandhapuṣpaiśca balidānaistathottamaiḥ

Translation

Au quatorzième jour lunaire de la quinzaine sombre, maître de soi et selon le rite prescrit, qu’on adore avec parfums et fleurs, ainsi qu’avec d’excellentes offrandes (bali).

Word by Word

• caturdaśyām: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• caturdaśyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturdaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (fourteenth lunar day)

• vidhānena: by the prescribed procedure
• vidhānena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• kṛṣṇapakṣe: in the dark fortnight
• kṛṣṇapakṣe: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (dark fortnight)

• yatātmavān: self-controlled
• yatātmavān: Visheshana (Qualifier of agent/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yata + ātman + vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (‘one whose self is restrained’)

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• gandhapuṣpaiḥ: with perfumes and flowers
• gandhapuṣpaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (with perfumes and flowers)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• balidānaiḥ: with oblation-offerings
• balidānaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (offerings of bali)

• tathā: also
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘thus/also’)

• uttamaiḥ: excellent
• uttamaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with balidānaiḥ)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī) / audience of the māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A restrained pilgrim in Prabhāsa-kṣetra performs evening worship on kṛṣṇa-pakṣa caturdaśī, offering fragrant sandal paste, garlands, and bali before a Śiva shrine, with lamps and attendants arranging offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Bhairaveśa
• Mātṛ-sthāna
• Caturdaśī
• Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and orderly worship (self-control + vidhāna) are presented as the proper way to approach fierce-protective divinities like Bhairava.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhairaveśa at the Mātṛ-sthāna in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship on Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa Caturdaśī with perfumes, flowers, and excellent bali offerings, performed with self-restraint and proper procedure.