Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

उदीरतामवरेप्यथवानेन पूजयेत् । आयं गौरिति मंत्रेण नैरृत्यं शृङ्गमर्चयेत्

Transliteration

udīratāmavarepyathavānena pūjayet | āyaṃ gauriti maṃtreṇa nairṛtyaṃ śṛṅgamarcayet

Translation

‘ഉദീരതാം…’ മന്ത്രത്താലോ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഇതേവിധമാലോ പൂജിക്കണം. ‘ആയം ഗൗഃ…’ മന്ത്രത്തോടെ നൈഋത്യ (തെക്ക്-പടിഞ്ഞാറ്) ശൃംഗത്തെ അർച്ചിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• उदीरताम्: (you all) recite/utter
• उदीरताम्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-ईर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Ātmanepada; ‘(you all) utter/recite’

• अवरे: in the lower (quarter)
• अवरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular masculine/neuter sense ‘in the lower (part/direction)’ (elliptic)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/सम्भावनार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

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

• 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

• आयम्: this (one)
• आयम्: Karma (Quoted element)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Pronoun, accusative singular masculine (used in mantra-quotation)

• गौः: cow
• गौः: Karta (Subject within mantra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; Nominative singular feminine

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular masculine

• नैरृत्यम्: south-western (of Nirṛti)
• नैरृत्यम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैरृत्य (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: Nairṛtya-śṛṅga of Aṣṭaśṛṅga (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the southwestern peak, the worshipper performs a protective rite-like pūjā, chanting a mantra with a steady, grounding posture; the landscape feels wind-swept and liminal, yet sanctified.

Characters & Entities

• Nirṛti (directional regent implied)
• Nairṛtya-śṛṅga (Southwestern Peak)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is approached as a mandala: each quarter is honored with its own sacred sound, cultivating wholeness in worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra’s Nairṛtya-śṛṅga (southwestern sacred peak) in the circuit of ritual veneration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of the southwestern peak with the mantra “āyaṃ gauḥ…”, with an alternative worship option using “udīratām…”.