Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । कदा पूजा प्रकर्तव्या भूतमातुः सुखार्थिभिः । पुरुषैर्देवदेवेश एतन्मे वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

devyuvāca | kadā pūjā prakartavyā bhūtamātuḥ sukhārthibhiḥ | puruṣairdevadeveśa etanme vaktumarhasi

Translation

ଦେବୀ କହିଲେ—ହେ ଦେବଦେବେଶ! ମଙ୍ଗଳ ଓ ସୁଖ ଆକାଂକ୍ଷୀ ପୁରୁଷମାନେ ଭୂତମାତୃଙ୍କ ପୂଜା କେବେ କରିବେ? ଦୟାକରି ଏହା ମୋତେ କହନ୍ତୁ।

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• कदा: when
• कदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of time)

• पूजा: worship
• पूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रकर्तव्या: to be performed
• प्रकर्तव्या: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पूजा’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• भूतमातुः: of the Mother of beings
• भूतमातुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतमातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूतानां माता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सुखार्थिभिः: by those desiring happiness
• सुखार्थिभिः: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुखार्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सुखम् अर्थः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• पुरुषैः: by men
• पुरुषैः: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• देवदेवेश: O Lord of the god of gods
• देवदेवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां देवः; तेषां ईशः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मे: to me / of me
• मे: Sampradana/Sambandha (Dative/Genitive nuance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन रूप (Genitive/Dative singular enclitic)

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → वक्तुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• अर्हसि: you ought / you are worthy
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess, seated with composed majesty, addresses Īśvara with folded hands, asking the proper time for worship of Bhūtamātṛ; attendants hold lamps and offerings, indicating a forthcoming ritual instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Bhūtamātṛ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right worship depends not only on devotion but also on proper timing and procedure, which should be learned from authoritative teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, since the dialogue is embedded in its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks about the proper time for Bhūtamātṛ-pūjā; the prescription follows in subsequent verses.