Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तेनैव विधिना पूजा तस्यापि विहिता मया । संध्याकाले द्विजश्रेष्ठ यावत्संवत्सरं स्थितः

Transliteration

tenaiva vidhinā pūjā tasyāpi vihitā mayā | saṃdhyākāle dvijaśreṣṭha yāvatsaṃvatsaraṃ sthitaḥ

Translation

ಓ ದ್ವಿಜಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ, ಅದೇ ವಿಧಾನದಂತೆ ನಾನು ಸಂಧ್ಯಾಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಆ ದೇವನನ್ನೂ ಪೂಜಿಸಿದೆ; ಮತ್ತು ಪೂರ್ಣ ಒಂದು ವರ್ಷ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಲೆಸಿದ್ದೆನು।

Word by Word

• tena: by that
• tena: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन = by that

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) = indeed/only

• vidhinā: by the rite
• vidhinā: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन = by the procedure

• pūjā: worship
• pūjā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन = worship

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन = of him

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपातः) = also

• vihitā: was performed
• vihitā: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vihita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; vi-√dhā)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त = was performed/ordained

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन = by me

• saṃdhyākāle: at twilight
• saṃdhyākāle: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdhyā + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (संध्यायाः कालः) = at twilight time

• dvijaśreṣṭha: O best brāhmaṇa
• dvijaśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठः) = O best of twice-born

• yāvat: as long as
• yāvat: Adhikarana (Extent/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक) = as long as/until

• saṃvatsaram: a year
• saṃvatsaram: Karman (Extent/Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃvatsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन = (for) a year

• sthitaḥ: remained
• sthitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √sthā)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त = remained/stayed

Speaker

Devotee/narrated first-person voice addressing a brāhmaṇa (dvijaśreṣṭha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mūlasthāna (western seat)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-śreṣṭha (best of twice-born) addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At twilight, lamps are lit; the devotee performs worship in the temple courtyard, then the scene widens to show seasons passing as he remains for a year.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are honored through disciplined time—regular sandhyā worship and sustained residence deepen the merit of pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The deity at the mūlasthāna (mentioned just prior) is honored through year-long stay and sandhyā worship within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sandhyā-kāla pūjā following the same method (vidhi), coupled with a year-long stay (tīrtha-vāsa).