Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

नारसिंहेन मंत्रेण ततः पूजय तं नृप । रक्तपुष्पैस्तथा धूपै रक्तैश्चैवानुलेपनैः

Transliteration

nārasiṃhena maṃtreṇa tataḥ pūjaya taṃ nṛpa | raktapuṣpaistathā dhūpai raktaiścaivānulepanaiḥ

Translation

പിന്നീട്, ഹേ നൃപാ, നാരസിംഹ മന്ത്രത്തോടെ അവനെ പൂജിക്കുക—ചുവന്ന പുഷ്പങ്ങൾ, ചുവന്ന ധൂപം, ചുവന്ന അനുലേപനങ്ങൾ എന്നിവകൊണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• नारसिंहेन: with the Nārasiṃha (mantra)
• नारसिंहेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारसिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मन्त्रेण: by/with a mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Sequence/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb: then/thereafter)

• पूजय: worship
• पूजय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (√पूज् धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative); मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रक्तपुष्पैः: with red flowers
• रक्तपुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त+पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (रक्तानि पुष्पाणि)

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• धूपैः: with incense
• धूपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• रक्तैः: red
• रक्तैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifies 'धूपैः' or 'अनुलेपनैः' by context)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• अनुलेपनैः: with unguents/pastes (for anointing)
• अनुलेपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king performs worship before Bhairava-Maheśvara: heaps of red flowers, red sandal/unguents, curling red-tinged incense smoke; priests chant; lamps flicker against the fierce icon.

Characters & Entities

• Nārasiṃha-mantra
• Bhairava (context)
• Śiva/Maheśvara (context)
• King (nṛpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra and proper upacāras (offerings) focus devotion and invoke protective divine power for righteous aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The worship is prescribed at Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra as part of its tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā using the Nārasiṃha mantra with red flowers, red incense, and red anointing substances.