Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

चतुर्दश्यां विधानेन कृष्णपक्षे यतात्मवान् । पूजयेद्गन्धपुष्पैश्च बलिदानैस्तथोत्तमैः

Transliteration

caturdaśyāṃ vidhānena kṛṣṇapakṣe yatātmavān | pūjayedgandhapuṣpaiśca balidānaistathottamaiḥ

Translation

കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷത്തിലെ ചതുര്ദശിയിൽ വിധിപൂർവം ആത്മസംയമത്തോടെ ഗന്ധപുഷ്പങ്ങളാലും അത്യുത്തമ ബലി-അർപ്പണങ്ങളാലും പൂജ ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• caturdaśyām: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• caturdaśyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturdaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (fourteenth lunar day)

• vidhānena: by the prescribed procedure
• vidhānena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• kṛṣṇapakṣe: in the dark fortnight
• kṛṣṇapakṣe: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (dark fortnight)

• yatātmavān: self-controlled
• yatātmavān: Visheshana (Qualifier of agent/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yata + ātman + vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (‘one whose self is restrained’)

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

• gandhapuṣpaiḥ: with perfumes and flowers
• gandhapuṣpaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (with perfumes and flowers)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• balidānaiḥ: with oblation-offerings
• balidānaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (offerings of bali)

• tathā: also
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘thus/also’)

• uttamaiḥ: excellent
• uttamaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with balidānaiḥ)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī) / audience of the māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A restrained pilgrim in Prabhāsa-kṣetra performs evening worship on kṛṣṇa-pakṣa caturdaśī, offering fragrant sandal paste, garlands, and bali before a Śiva shrine, with lamps and attendants arranging offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Bhairaveśa
• Mātṛ-sthāna
• Caturdaśī
• Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and orderly worship (self-control + vidhāna) are presented as the proper way to approach fierce-protective divinities like Bhairava.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhairaveśa at the Mātṛ-sthāna in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship on Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa Caturdaśī with perfumes, flowers, and excellent bali offerings, performed with self-restraint and proper procedure.