Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

यां दृष्ट्वा पूजयित्वाऽथ चैत्राष्टम्यां विशेषतः । शुक्लायां नाप्नुयान्मर्त्यः कुटुम्बव्यसनं क्वचित्

Transliteration

yāṃ dṛṣṭvā pūjayitvā'tha caitrāṣṭamyāṃ viśeṣataḥ | śuklāyāṃ nāpnuyānmartyaḥ kuṭumbavyasanaṃ kvacit

Translation

അവളെ ദർശിച്ച് പൂജിച്ചാൽ—വിശേഷിച്ച് ചൈത്രമാസത്തിലെ ശുക്ലപക്ഷ അഷ്ടമിദിനത്തിൽ—മർത്ത്യൻ ഒരിക്കലും കുടുംബവിപത്ത് അനുഭവിക്കുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• याम्: whom/which (her)
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Verbal adjunct/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; ‘having seen’

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Kriya (Verbal adjunct/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; ‘having worshipped’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थक (then/thereupon)

• चैत्राष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi) of Caitra
• चैत्राष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘चैत्रस्य अष्टमी’ (locative of time)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (especially)

• शुक्लायाम्: in the bright (fortnight)
• शुक्लायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; पक्ष/तिथ्यधिकरणे (in the bright fortnight)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• आप्नुयात्: would obtain/meet
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should obtain/meet’

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• कुटुम्बव्यसनम्: family calamity/misfortune
• कुटुम्बव्यसनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुटुम्ब + व्यसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; ‘कुटुम्बस्य व्यसनम्’

• क्वचित्: ever/at any time
• क्वचित्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/काल-अनिश्चितार्थक (ever/anywhere/at any time)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ambarevatī (Devī-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim beholds Ambarevatī Devī in her shrine and offers pūjā on Caitra bright aṣṭamī; the household stands protected, calamities turned away.

Characters & Entities

• Ambarevatī Devī
• Caitra
• Aṣṭamī
• Śukla pakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Timely worship (aligned with sacred calendrical moments) is taught as a means to secure household stability and avert misfortune.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shrine/seat of Ambarevatī in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha setting is praised as a place of protective grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana and pūjā of Ambarevatī Devī specifically on Caitra Śukla Aṣṭamī.