Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 137

Devanagari script

त्रिकालं पूजयामास धूपमाल्यानुलेपनैः । तं प्रणम्य च देवेशि स्तौति नित्यं निशापतिः

Transliteration

trikālaṃ pūjayāmāsa dhūpamālyānulepanaiḥ | taṃ praṇamya ca deveśi stauti nityaṃ niśāpatiḥ

Translation

അവൻ ധൂപം, മാല്യം, അനുലേപനം എന്നിവകൊണ്ട് ത്രികാലവും ആ (ലിംഗത്തെ) പൂജിച്ചു. ഹേ ദേവേശി! അവനെ നമസ്കരിച്ച് നിശാപതി (ചന്ദ്രൻ) നിത്യവും സ്തുതിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• त्रिकालम्: thrice daily
• त्रिकालम्: Kala (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि + काल (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: अव्ययीभाव; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (three times a day)

• पूजयामास: worshipped
• पूजयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + णिच् (प्रयोजक)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative, idiomatically 'worshipped')

• धूपमाल्यानुलेपनैः: with incense, garlands, and unguents
• धूपमाल्यानुलेपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप + माल्य + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक); समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार), तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; करण (instrumental)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed to
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु); क्त्वान्त
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having bowed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• देवेशि: O Goddess, Lady of the gods
• देवेशि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संबोधन (vocative)

• स्तौति: praises
• स्तौति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kala (Frequency/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (always/constantly)

• निशापतिः: lord of the night (the Moon)
• निशापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा + पति (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (निशायाः पतिः)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Candra’s liṅga worship site)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī) (addressed as deveśi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Moon-god (Niśāpati) stands before a Śiva-liṅga at Prabhāsa, offering incense smoke, garlands, and fragrant unguents at dawn, noon, and dusk; he bows and recites hymns daily.

Characters & Entities

• Moon (Niśāpati)
• Liṅga
• Prabhāsakṣetra
• Devī (addressed as Deveśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, time-disciplined worship (trikāla-pūjā) with simple offerings sustains devotion and sanctifies daily life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the installed liṅga receives continuous worship and praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Trikāla-pūjā using dhūpa (incense), mālya (garlands), and anulepana (unguents), along with namaskāra and stotra.