Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

बर्बरीक उवाच । कस्मिन्क्षेत्रे च कां देवीं कथमाराधयाम्यहम् । एतत्प्रसादप्रवणं मनः कृत्वा निवेदय

Transliteration

barbarīka uvāca | kasminkṣetre ca kāṃ devīṃ kathamārādhayāmyaham | etatprasādapravaṇaṃ manaḥ kṛtvā nivedaya

Translation

ബർബരീകൻ പറഞ്ഞു: ഏത് ക്ഷേത്രപ്രദേശത്ത്, ഏത് ദേവിയെ, എങ്ങനെ ഞാൻ ആരാധിക്കണം? അവളുടെ പ്രസാദത്തിലേക്ക് മനസ്സ് ചായ്ത്ത്—ഇത് എനിക്ക് അറിയിക്കൂ.

Word by Word

• बर्बरीकः: Barbarika
• बर्बरीकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: barbarīka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कस्मिन्: in which
• कस्मिन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक; ‘क्षेत्रे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• क्षेत्रे: in (what) sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction); समुच्चयार्थक

• काम्: which
• काम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक; ‘देवीं’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• देवीम्: goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (interrogative adverb); प्रकार/उपायवाचक

• आराधयामि: do I worship
• आराधयामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-rādh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; कर्ता

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (nivedaya इत्यस्य)

• प्रसादप्रवणम्: inclined toward grace/favor
• प्रसादप्रवणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prasāda-pravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; प्रसाद + प्रवण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘प्रसादे प्रवणम्’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः; ‘मनः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (कृत्वा इत्यस्य)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया ‘having made’

• निवेदय: tell/submit
• निवेदय: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-vid (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Barbarīka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dāmodara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Barbarīka, youthful and earnest, questions the teacher with folded hands; a map-like hint of coastline/shoreline foreshadows the ‘land–ocean confluence’ kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Barbarīka
• Devī
• Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right worship includes right place (kṣetra), right deity (devatā), and right method (vidhi), approached with humility and longing for grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse asks the question; the named site appears next as Guptakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for the proper method of Devī ārādhana; the details follow in subsequent verses.