Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

चंद्रपूजां ततः कुर्यादागमोक्तविधानतः । माषैः षोडशभिः कार्या प्रत्येकं प्रतिमा शुभा

Transliteration

caṃdrapūjāṃ tataḥ kuryādāgamoktavidhānataḥ | māṣaiḥ ṣoḍaśabhiḥ kāryā pratyekaṃ pratimā śubhā

Translation

പിന്നീട് ആഗമങ്ങളിൽ പറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്ന വിധിപ്രകാരം ചന്ദ്രദേവന്റെ പൂജ നടത്തണം। ഓരോ ശുഭ പ്രതിമയും പതിനാറു മാഷ അളവിൽ നിർമ്മിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• चंद्रपूजाम्: moon-worship
• चंद्रपूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — accusative singular; समासः = ‘worship of the moon’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘thereafter’

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘should do/perform’

• आगमोक्तविधानतः: as prescribed in the Āgamas
• आगमोक्तविधानतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आगम + उक्त + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘according to the procedure stated in the Āgamas’

• माषैः: with māṣa-beans (black gram)
• माषैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Material)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• षोडशभिः: with sixteen (in number)
• षोडशभिः: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — instrumental plural; numeral ‘by sixteen’

• कार्या: to be made
• कार्या: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण — ‘to be made’

• प्रत्येकम्: each (one)
• प्रत्येकम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + एक (अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘each, individually’

• प्रतिमा: the image
• प्रतिमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (Candra-pūjā context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritualist fashions sixteen small auspicious images/offerings on a scale, measuring each to sixteen māṣas, then begins Candra-pūjā before a silver-toned lunar emblem.

Characters & Entities

• Candra
• Āgama
• Pratimā
• Māṣa (measure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is strengthened by disciplined adherence to well-transmitted ritual procedures (āgama-vidhi).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā is the larger setting; the verse details the method rather than naming a sub-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Candra-pūjā per Āgamic rules and craft each pratimā using a specified measure: sixteen māṣas.