Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

बलि पूजां ततो दत्त्वा स्तोत्रेणानेन च स्तुता । ततः प्रत्यक्षतां गत्वा तामुवाच तपस्विनीम्

Transliteration

bali pūjāṃ tato dattvā stotreṇānena ca stutā | tataḥ pratyakṣatāṃ gatvā tāmuvāca tapasvinīm

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം ബലി അർപ്പിച്ച് പൂജ നടത്തി, ഈ സ്തോത്രംകൊണ്ട് ദേവിയെ സ്തുതിച്ചു. അപ്പോൾ ദേവി പ്രത്യക്ഷയായി ആ തപസ്വിനിയോട് അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• बलिम्: offering (bali)
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Temporal adverb (कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थक/तस्मात् (then/thereafter)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; धातुः—दा (दान)

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

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• स्तुता: was praised
• स्तुता: Karma (Patient/कर्म) with implied agent
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘(she) was praised’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Temporal adverb (कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थक

• प्रत्यक्षताम्: manifest presence/visibility
• प्रत्यक्षताम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म-गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यक्षता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; भाववाचक (state)

• गत्वा: having gone/attained
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; धातुः—गम्

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तपस्विनीम्: the female ascetic
• तपस्विनीम्: Karma (Recipient addressed/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration within the Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgara Devī-sthāna (manifestation site)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the temple threshold, the ascetic woman completes bali and worship, then sings a hymn; the air brightens as the Goddess manifests visibly before her.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• tapasvinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere worship with offerings and hymn-praise can culminate in direct divine grace and revelation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Nāgara-region tīrtha associated with the Goddess’s manifestation (context: Nāgarakhaṇḍa, Tīrthamāhātmya, Adhyāya 169).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bali-offering (balipūjā) followed by praise through a stotra, leading to darśana.