Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

मन्त्रेणानेन दातव्यं तदेव प्राशनं स्मृतम् । अर्धनारीश्वरौ यौ च संस्थितौ परमेश्वरौ

Transliteration

mantreṇānena dātavyaṃ tadeva prāśanaṃ smṛtam | ardhanārīśvarau yau ca saṃsthitau parameśvarau

Translation

ഈ മന്ത്രം ചൊല്ലി തന്നെയാകണം അർപ്പണം; അതുതന്നെ പ്രസാദമായി പ്രാശനം ചെയ്യേണ്ടതാണെന്ന് സ്മൃതിയിൽ പറയുന്നു. അർദ്ധനാരീശ്വരരൂപത്തിൽ അധിഷ്ഠിതരായ പരമേശ്വരന്മാരെ സ്മരിക്കണം।

Word by Word

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

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘with this’

• दातव्यम्: is to be given/should be offered
• दातव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; impersonal predicate ‘is to be given’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that’ (referring to offering)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• प्राशनम्: (as) eating/partaking
• प्राशनम्: Karya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate nominative

• स्मृतम्: is said/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘is remembered/declared’

• अर्धनारीश्वरौ: the two Ardhanārīśvaras (Śiva and Śakti as one form)
• अर्धनारीश्वरौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध + नारी + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन; compound: अर्धनारी (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष ‘half-woman’) + ईश्वर (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘lord of’) → ‘Ardhanārīśvara’; here dual

• यौ: who (the two)
• यौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन; relative pronoun (who, the two)

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

• संस्थितौ: standing/present
• संस्थितौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन; ‘standing/being present’ qualifying यौ/…ईश्वरौ

• परमेश्वरौ: the two supreme lords
• परमेश्वरौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन; कर्मधारय ‘supreme lords’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya instructional passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (contextual continuity)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After offering, the devotee receives a small portion of naivedya as prasāda, hands cupped; behind, the Ardhanārīśvara/Umā-Maheśvara icon radiates calm unity.

Characters & Entities

• Ardhanārīśvara
• Parameśvara
• Mantra
• Prāśana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offerings become sacred through mantra and may be reverently consumed as prasāda, affirming Śiva-Śakti unity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger Tīrthamāhātmya chapter frames the rite; the specific tīrtha name is not stated in this verse excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give the offering with the prescribed mantra and then partake of it as sanctified prasāda (prāśana).