Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

मार्गशीर्षेऽथ संप्राप्ते तृतीयादिवसे सिते । तां देवीं पूजयामास वर्षं यावकृतक्षणा

Transliteration

mārgaśīrṣe'tha saṃprāpte tṛtīyādivase site | tāṃ devīṃ pūjayāmāsa varṣaṃ yāvakṛtakṣaṇā

Translation

ତାପରେ ମାର୍ଗଶୀର୍ଷ ମାସ ଆସିଲାବେଳେ, ଶୁକ୍ଳପକ୍ଷର ତୃତୀୟା ତିଥିଦିନ, ସେ ତାହିଁ ଦେବୀଙ୍କ ପୂଜା ଆରମ୍ଭ କଲା ଏବଂ ବ୍ରତର ନିୟତ ସମୟ ଅନୁସାରେ ପୂରା ଏକ ବର୍ଷ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଅବିରତ କଲା।

Word by Word

• मार्गशीर्षे: in (the month of) Mārgaśīrṣa
• मार्गशीर्षे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे (locative of time)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (sequencing particle: 'then/now')

• संप्राप्ते: when (it) had arrived
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्त (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; 'प्राप्ते' इति (when it had arrived)

• तृतीयादिवसे: on the third day
• तृतीयादिवसे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीया + दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीयायाः दिवसः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे

• सिते: in the bright (fortnight)
• सिते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; 'शुक्लपक्षे' इत्यर्थे (in the bright fortnight)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'ताम्' इत्यस्य विशेष्य/अप्पोजिशन

• पूजयामास: worshipped
• पूजयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; 'पूजयामास' = 'पूजयति स्म' (he worshipped)

• वर्षम्: for a year
• वर्षम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कालपरिमाणे (accusative of duration)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्धशब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधिसूचक (as long as / up to)

• कृतक्षणा: she whose time was thus spent/occupied (in worship)
• कृतक्षणा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (कृतः क्षणो यस्याः सा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted woman commences a year-long Devī worship on the bright third of Mārgaśīrṣa; a shrine with lamp, flowers, and a calendar-marked vow; the sense of time passing through seasons while worship continues.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Gaurī
• Kātyāyanī
• Mārgaśīrṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (month and tithi) is treated as spiritually potent; steadfast continuity in observance is honored.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights calendrical sacredness rather than a named geographic tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Begin worship on Mārgaśīrṣa śukla tṛtīyā and maintain the observance for one full year.