Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अष्टाविष्टकरा नित्यं भवेयुस्तस्य सिद्धयः । मंत्रजाप्यं बलिं होममत्र यः कुरुते नरः

Transliteration

aṣṭāviṣṭakarā nityaṃ bhaveyustasya siddhayaḥ | maṃtrajāpyaṃ baliṃ homamatra yaḥ kurute naraḥ

Translation

അവന്റെ സിദ്ധികൾ നിത്യം അഷ്ടാവിംശതിഗുണം ഫലപ്രദമാകുന്നു. ഈ സ്ഥലത്ത് മന്ത്രജപം, ബലി-നൈവേദ്യം, ഹോമം എന്നിവ ചെയ്യുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ അത്തരം സിദ്ധികൾ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अष्टाविष्टकराः: having eight desired hands (i.e., eightfold/with eight boon-giving hands)
• अष्टाविष्टकराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टा + अविष्ट + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अष्टा अविष्टाः कराः यस्याः/ये)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• भवेयुः: may be / would become
• भवेयुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• सिद्धयः: accomplishments, siddhis
• सिद्धयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• मन्त्रजाप्यम्: mantra-recitation
• मन्त्रजाप्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मन्त्रस्य जाप्यम्)

• बलिम्: offering (bali)
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• होमम्: fire-offering, homa
• होमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कुरुते: does, performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), by Māheśvarakhaṇḍa contextual attribution

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheśa–Siddhāmbikā Siddhi-kṣetra (Pātāla-bila)

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sādhaka at a cave-mouth shrine performs japa beside a small homa-kuṇḍa; bali offerings are placed on a leaf-plate; behind, a liṅga or Siddheśa icon glows, suggesting the place’s ‘28-fold’ potency.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhi
• Mantra-japa
• Bali
• Homa
• Siddhakūpa (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined ritual practice done at a sanctified site multiplies spiritual efficacy and produces siddhi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Siddhakūpa/Siddheśa sacred area referenced by “atra” (here) in the ongoing māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-japa, bali offerings, and homa performed at the tīrtha.