Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

कुंकुमादिभिरभ्यर्च्य जातमात्रः सुतस्तदा । षष्ठे च दिवसे राजन्षष्ठीं पूजयते सदा

Transliteration

kuṃkumādibhirabhyarcya jātamātraḥ sutastadā | ṣaṣṭhe ca divase rājanṣaṣṭhīṃ pūjayate sadā

Translation

子が生まれたばかりのとき、クンクマ（kuṅkuma）などをもって（女神を）礼拝し、そののち第六日には、王よ、常にシャシュティー（Ṣaṣṭhī）—第六日の女神—を供養すべきである。

Word by Word

• कुङ्कुमादिभिः: with saffron etc.
• कुङ्कुमादिभिः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): having worshipped

• जातमात्रः: just born
• जातमात्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘just-born’

• सुतः: the son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adverbial (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (then)

• षष्ठे: on the sixth
• षष्ठे: Adhikarana (Time-locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; ordinal ‘on the sixth’ (day)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• दिवसे: on the day
• दिवसे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• षष्ठीम्: Ṣaṣṭhī (the sixth-day goddess/rite)
• षष्ठीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पूजयते: worships
• पूजयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adverbial (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (always)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from section context; address to a king indicates royal interlocutor)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the sixth day after birth, the household shrine is adorned; Ṣaṣṭhī Devī is worshipped with kuṅkuma, flowers, lamps; the infant is placed nearby under protective symbols.

Characters & Entities

• Ṣaṣṭhī
• rājan (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Household dharma protects the newborn through devotion to the goddess, integrating family life with sacred time (the sixth day).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears; the emphasis is on a time-bound domestic observance (Ṣaṣṭhī worship).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship with kuṅkuma etc. at birth, and obligatory worship of Ṣaṣṭhī on the sixth day.