Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

श्रीमुखं नाम तद्द्वारं रक्ष्यते मातृभिः प्रिये । वर्षमेकं चतुर्द्दश्यां नियमाद्यस्तु पूजयेत्

Transliteration

śrīmukhaṃ nāma taddvāraṃ rakṣyate mātṛbhiḥ priye | varṣamekaṃ caturddaśyāṃ niyamādyastu pūjayet

Translation

പ്രിയേ! ആ ദ്വാരത്തിന് ‘ശ്രീമുഖം’ എന്ന പേരാണ്; മാതൃഗണങ്ങൾ അതിനെ കാവൽ ചെയ്യുന്നു. ആരെങ്കിലും നിയമത്തോടെ ഒരു വർഷം ചതുര്ദശിദിനത്തിൽ (അവിടെ) പൂജ ചെയ്താൽ—

Word by Word

• śrīmukham: the auspicious-faced (place/name) ‘Śrīmukha’
• śrīmukham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1/2), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (śrī + mukha)

• nāma: named; called
• nāma: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः ‘called/namely’ इत्यर्थे (indeclinable particle)

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• dvāram: gate; doorway
• dvāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• rakṣyate: is protected/guarded
• rakṣyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• mātṛbhiḥ: by the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• mātṛbhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3), बहुवचन

• priye: O dear one
• priye: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8), एकवचन

• varṣam: for a year
• varṣam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन; काल-परिमाण (duration)

• ekam: one
• ekam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• caturdaśyām: on the fourteenth lunar day
• caturdaśyām: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturdaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7), एकवचन; तिथि-नाम

• niyamāt: by observance; according to rule
• niyamāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5), एकवचन; ‘rule/observance’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• tu: indeed; but
• tu: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle)

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Prabhāsa Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīmukha-dvāra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as priye)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred gateway labeled Śrīmukha, flanked by fierce yet benevolent Mātṛkās; a devotee stands with folded hands, counting months on a rosary/calendar, indicating year-long caturdaśī worship.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīmukha (dvāra)
• Mātṛs (Mother goddesses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, time-bound worship with self-discipline at a sanctified threshold is portrayed as a powerful path to spiritual accomplishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The gateway named Śrīmukha in the Arkasthala/Prabhāsa sacred complex, guarded by the Mātṛs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship on caturdaśī (the 14th lunar day) with niyama (disciplined observance) for one year.