Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अष्टमूर्त्यष्टकं दिक्षु सोमनाथं सशक्तिकम् । उमया सहितं तत्र श्वेतपुष्पैश्च पूजयेत्

Transliteration

aṣṭamūrtyaṣṭakaṃ dikṣu somanāthaṃ saśaktikam | umayā sahitaṃ tatra śvetapuṣpaiśca pūjayet

Translation

ದಿಕ್ಕುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅಷ್ಟಮೂರ್ತಿಗಳ ಅಷ್ಟಕವನ್ನು ಪೂಜಿಸಬೇಕು; ನಂತರ ಶಕ್ತಿಸಹಿತ ಸೋಮನಾಥನನ್ನು—ಉಮೆಯೊಂದಿಗೆ—ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಳಿ ಪುಷ್ಪಗಳಿಂದ ಅರ್ಚಿಸಬೇಕು।

Word by Word

• aṣṭa-mūrti-aṣṭakam: the set of eight forms (of Śiva)
• aṣṭa-mūrti-aṣṭakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + mūrti (प्रातिपदिक) + aṣṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; समासः—द्विगु (अष्टमूर्तीनाम् अष्टकम्)

• dikṣu: in the directions
• dikṣu: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), बहुवचनम्

• somanātham: Somanātha
• somanātham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक) + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सोमस्य नाथः)

• sa-śaktikam: together with (his) Śakti
• sa-śaktikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘सह’) + śaktika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; ‘स’ = सहार्थक-उपपद (with)

• umayā: with Umā
• umayā: Sahakāraka (Instrumental of accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: umā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/सह), एकवचनम्

• sahitam: accompanied (by)
• sahitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahita (कृदन्त; √sah (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• tatra: there
• tatra: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• śveta-puṣpaiḥ: with white flowers
• śveta-puṣpaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śveta (प्रातिपदिक) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), बहुवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारय (श्वेतानि पुष्पाणि)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somnātha (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mandala-like worship scene: in eight directions, symbols of Śiva’s Aṣṭamūrti are honored; at the center, Somnātha liṅga with Umā/Śakti presence is offered white flowers, creating a radiant, ordered cosmos around the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Somnātha
• Śiva (Aṣṭamūrti)
• Śakti
• Umā (Pārvatī)
• Directions (dik)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is to be honored as cosmic (eightfold) and relational—worshipped with Śakti/Umā—through reverent offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somnātha at Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dik-pūjā of the Aṣṭamūrti set and worship Somnātha with Śakti and Umā using white flowers.