Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 152

Devanagari script

बहूदकस्य तीरे या नारी गौरिणिकाः शुभाः । संभोजयति तस्याश्च कुर्यात्सुस्वागतं ह्युमा

Transliteration

bahūdakasya tīre yā nārī gauriṇikāḥ śubhāḥ | saṃbhojayati tasyāśca kuryātsusvāgataṃ hyumā

Translation

ബഹൂദകത്തിന്റെ തീരത്ത് ഗൗരീഭക്തിയുള്ള ശുഭസ്ത്രീ ഭോജനവും അതിഥിസത്കാരവും നടത്തുമ്പോൾ, അവൾക്കു സ്വയം ഉമാദേവി സുസ്വാഗതം അരുളുന്നു।

Word by Word

• बहूदकस्य: of Bahūdaka
• बहूदकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहूदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः—बहु + उदक (कर्मधारय)

• तीरे: on the bank
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• या: who (woman)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गौरिणिकाः: Gauriṇikā women (attendants/devotees of Gaurī)
• गौरिणिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरिणिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शुभाः: auspicious; good
• शुभाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (गौरिणिकाः इति)

• संभोजयति: feeds; entertains with food
• संभोजयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भुज् (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative: causes to eat/feeds)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सुस्वागतम्: a warm welcome; good reception
• सुस्वागतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + स्वागतम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—सु-स्वागतम् (उपसर्गपूर्वक-कर्मधारय)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• उमा: Umā
• उमा: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि (here: name invoked)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bahūdaka

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An auspicious woman (gaurīṇikā) on the riverbank welcomes guests with water, flowers, and food; behind her, a subtle vision of Umā bestowing blessing—hand raised in abhaya/vara; lamps and garlands frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Bahūdaka
• Gaurī
• Umā (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to the Divine Mother expressed through hospitality at a tīrtha draws direct divine favor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bahūdaka tīra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃbhojana—offering food/hospitality—performed by a Gaurī-devotee woman at the tīrtha.