Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

सोमवारे शिवं गौरीं पूजयस्व समाहिता । उपोषिता वा सुस्नाता विरजाम्बरधारिणी

Transliteration

somavāre śivaṃ gaurīṃ pūjayasva samāhitā | upoṣitā vā susnātā virajāmbaradhāriṇī

Translation

തിങ്കളാഴ്ച ഏകാഗ്രചിത്തത്തോടെ ശിവനെയും ഗൗരിയെയും പൂജിക്കണം—ഉപവസിച്ചോ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ നന്നായി സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് മാലിന്യമില്ലാത്ത ശുദ്ധവസ്ത്രം ധരിച്ചോ.

Word by Word

• सोमवारे: on Monday
• सोमवारे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम-वार (प्रातिपदिक; सोम + वार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-स्थानाधिकरण (locative of time)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• गौरीम्: Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• गौरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• पूजयस्व: worship (you should worship)
• पूजयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• समाहिता: composed, attentive
• समाहिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (addressing the woman)

• उपोषिता: having fasted
• उपोषिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-वास् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (particle of alternative)

• सुस्नाता: well-bathed
• सुस्नाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- + स्ना (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्गयुक्त; विशेषण

• विरजाम्बरधारिणी: wearing spotless garments
• विरजाम्बरधारिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरज-अम्बर-धारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; विरज + अम्बर + धारिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (वस्त्र-धारण-विशेषण)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (didactic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee on a Monday, freshly bathed, in spotless garments, offering flowers and water to a Śiva-liṅga with Gaurī present, mind composed and hands in worship.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaurī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes effective through inner steadiness (samādhi-like attention) and outer purity (snāna, clean clothing, optional fasting).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it teaches a vrata/ritual discipline centered on Monday worship of Śiva-Gaurī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Somavāra pūjā of Śiva and Gaurī with mental focus, with either upavāsa (fasting) or proper bathing and clean garments.