Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

तं देवं सुकलत्राढ्यं तथैव परिपूजयेत् । त्रयोदश्यां द्विजश्रेष्ठाः केसरैः कुंकुमोद्भवैः

Transliteration

taṃ devaṃ sukalatrāḍhyaṃ tathaiva paripūjayet | trayodaśyāṃ dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ kesaraiḥ kuṃkumodbhavaiḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ, സുകലത്രസഹിതനായ ആ ദേവനെ ത്രയോദശി നാളിലും വിധിപൂർവ്വം പൂജിക്കണം; കേശരവും കുങ്കുമജന്യ സുഗന്ധചൂർണ്ണങ്ങളും അർപ്പിച്ച്।

Word by Word

• तम्: that (him)
• तम्: Karman (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• देवम्: the deity
• देवम्: Karman (कर्म; apposition to तम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सु-कलत्र-आढ्यम्: rich in a good spouse
• सु-कलत्र-आढ्यम्: Karman-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्म-समानााधिकरण/attributive to देवम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय/उपसर्ग-सदृश) + कलत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• परि-पूजयेत्: should worship
• परि-पूजयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: परि

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth (lunar day)
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण (time-locative)

• द्विज-श्रेष्ठाः: best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विज-श्रेष्ठाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; understood with परिपूजयेत् as eligible agents)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे/कर्तरि प्रयोग (context: addressed/mentioned)

• केसरैः: with saffron threads/pollen
• केसरैः: Karana (करण/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कुङ्कुम-उद्भवैः: arisen from saffron (i.e., saffron-produced)
• कुङ्कुम-उद्भवैः: Karana (करण; qualifier of instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying केसरैः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta in the broader Tīrthamāhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Saubhāgya-kūpikā associated)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa devotee performs Trayodaśī worship to a deity with consort, offering saffron and kumkuma powders; the shrine is near a sacred well/stone emblem of the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (deity with consort)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspiciousness (saubhāgya) is cultivated through timely, reverent worship, especially when performed according to tithi-based dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra context within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya is being praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship on Trayodaśī (13th lunar day) with offerings of kesara (saffron) and kuṅkuma-derived fragrant substances.