Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

उमामहेश्वरौ देवौ यौ तौ सृष्टिलयान्वितौ । तौ गृह्णीतामिमां पूजां मया दत्तां प्रभक्तितः

Transliteration

umāmaheśvarau devau yau tau sṛṣṭilayānvitau | tau gṛhṇītāmimāṃ pūjāṃ mayā dattāṃ prabhaktitaḥ

Translation

ഉമയും മഹേശ്വരനും—സൃഷ്ടിയും പ്രളയവും നിയന്ത്രിക്കുന്ന ദിവ്യ ദമ്പതികൾ—എന്റെ ഗാഢഭക്തിയോടെ അർപ്പിച്ച ഈ പൂജ സ്വീകരിക്കണമേ।

Word by Word

• उमा-महेश्वरौ: Uma and Maheshvara
• उमा-महेश्वरौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व)

• देवौ: the two gods
• देवौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेष्य (apposition to उमामहेश्वरौ)

• यौ: who (the two)
• यौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक (relative pronoun)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; निर्देश (correlative pronoun)

• सृष्टि-लय-अन्वितौ: endowed with creation and dissolution
• सृष्टि-लय-अन्वितौ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + लय (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ (इण्) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सृष्टि-लयेन अन्वितौ)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; संबोधनार्थ-प्रयोग (as subject of imperative)

• गृह्णीताम्: let them accept
• गृह्णीताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (पूजाम्)

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

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दत्ताम्: given
• दत्ताम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त; √दा (डादाने) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त; विशेषण (पूजाम्)

• प्रभक्तितः: with great devotion
• प्रभक्तितः: Hetu/Prayojana (Cause/Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya instructional passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands before a paired icon of Umā and Maheśvara, hands in añjali, offering a pūjā-tray; behind them a tīrtha precinct with lamps and a sanctum doorway, suggesting the rite is part of a pilgrimage observance.

Characters & Entities

• Umā
• Maheśvara
• Sṛṣṭi
• Laya
• Pūjā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship culminates in surrender: the devotee asks Śiva-Śakti, rulers of cosmic cycles, to accept the offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as a pūjā-prayer within a tīrtha-māhātmya; it does not name the location explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite an acceptance-prayer requesting Umā-Maheśvara to receive the devotee’s pūjā offered with intense devotion.