Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यां तस्याभीष्टं भविष्यति । युद्धकालेऽथ संप्राप्ते स्तोत्रेणानेन ते स्तुतिम्

Transliteration

aṣṭamyāṃ ca caturdaśyāṃ tasyābhīṣṭaṃ bhaviṣyati | yuddhakāle'tha saṃprāpte stotreṇānena te stutim

Translation

അഷ്ടമിയിലും ചതുര്ദശിയിലും അവന്റെ അഭീഷ്ടം സിദ്ധിക്കും. യുദ്ധസമയം വന്നാൽ, ഈ സ്തോത്രം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ നിന്റെ സ്തുതി നടത്തേണ്ടതാണ്.

Word by Word

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• च: and
• च: Discourse connector (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• तस्य: for him / his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अभीष्टम्: the desired (boon)
• अभीष्टम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभीष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; इच्छित-वस्तु

• भविष्यति: will be / will happen
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• युद्धकाले: at the time of battle
• युद्धकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (युद्धस्य काले)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (Avyaya/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• संप्राप्ते: when (it) has come / on arrival
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Absolute locative/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्त (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when it has arrived)

• स्तोत्रेण: with a hymn
• स्तोत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; स्तोत्रेण इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• स्तुतिम्: praise / eulogy
• स्तुतिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Devadeva (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kelīśvarī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-time temple worship on Aṣṭamī/Caturdaśī: lamps blaze, devotees offer red flowers and incense to Kelīśvarī; a warrior/king recites a hymn with folded hands, visualizing the goddess as a shield before battle.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Devadeva)
• Kelīśvarī (Goddess)
• Aṣṭamī
• Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through timely worship and stotra becomes a source of siddhi (fulfillment) and protection, even amid worldly danger like battle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is within a Tīrthamāhātmya context of Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but the verse itself highlights sacred timing (tithi) and hymn-recitation rather than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship/observance on Aṣṭamī and Caturdaśī, and recitation of ‘this stotra’ especially when facing battle.