Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 102

Devanagari script

आग्नेय्या चैव गायत्र्या अथवानेन पूजयेत् । यमाय त्वा मखाय त्वा दक्षिणं शृंगमर्च येत्

Transliteration

āgneyyā caiva gāyatryā athavānena pūjayet | yamāya tvā makhāya tvā dakṣiṇaṃ śṛṃgamarca yet

Translation

ആഗ്നേയീ ഗായത്രിയാലോ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഇതേവിധമാലോ പൂജിക്കണം. ‘യമായ ത്വാ, മഖായ ത്വാ’ മന്ത്രത്തോടെ തെക്കൻ ശൃംഗത്തെ അർച്ചിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• आग्नेय्या: with the Āgneyī (hymn/verse)
• आग्नेय्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular feminine

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• गायत्र्या: with the Gāyatrī (mantra/metre)
• गायत्र्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular feminine

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अनेन: with this (mantra)
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Pronoun, instrumental singular neuter

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• यमाय: to Yama
• यमाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; Dative singular masculine

• त्वा: you (thee)
• त्वा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; enclitic pronoun, accusative singular

• मखाय: to Makha (sacrifice/deity)
• मखाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; Dative singular masculine

• त्वा: you (thee)
• त्वा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; enclitic pronoun, accusative singular

• दक्षिणम्: southern/right
• दक्षिणम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular neuter (qualifying शृङ्गम्)

• शृङ्गम्: horn
• शृङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular neuter

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dakṣiṇa-śṛṅga of Aṣṭaśṛṅga (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the southern peak, the worship is more austere: fewer gestures, steady posture, mantra invoking Yama; the atmosphere suggests discipline and solemnity within devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Dakṣiṇa-śṛṅga (Southern Peak)
• Āgneyī Gāyatrī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual correctness (mantra-choice and direction) is treated as a form of dharma that harmonizes the worshipper with cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra’s Southern sacred peak (Dakṣiṇa-śṛṅga) within the directional circuit of worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship using either the Āgneyī Gāyatrī or the stated mantras; specifically, the Southern peak is worshipped with “yamāya tvā, makhāya tvā”.