Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

शिवपूजा सदा लोके हेतुः स्वर्गापवर्गयोः । सोमवारे विशेषेण प्रदोषादिगुणान्विते

Transliteration

śivapūjā sadā loke hetuḥ svargāpavargayoḥ | somavāre viśeṣeṇa pradoṣādiguṇānvite

Translation

ਲੋਕ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਿਵ-ਪੂਜਾ ਸਦਾ ਹੀ ਸਵਰਗ ਅਤੇ ਅਪਵਰਗ (ਮੋਖਸ਼) ਦੋਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਕਾਰਣ ਹੈ—ਖ਼ਾਸ ਕਰਕੇ ਸੋਮਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ, ਪ੍ਰਦੋਸ਼ ਆਦਿ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਵਰਤਾਂ ਦੇ ਗੁਣਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਯੁਕਤ ਹੋ ਕੇ।

Word by Word

• शिवपूजा: worship of Śiva
• शिवपूजा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-पूजा (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + पूजा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: always)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative singular)

• हेतुः: cause
• हेतुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• स्वर्गापवर्गयोः: of heaven and liberation
• स्वर्गापवर्गयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग-अपवर्ग (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ग + अपवर्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन (Masculine, Genitive dual; of heaven and liberation)

• सोमवारे: on Monday
• सोमवारे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम-वार (प्रातिपदिक; सोम + वार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative singular)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd) एकवचन-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (Instrumental singular used adverbially: especially)

• प्रदोषादिगुणान्विते: endowed with qualities such as pradoṣa
• प्रदोषादिगुणान्विते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रदोष-आदि-गुण-अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; प्रदोष + आदि + गुण + अन्वित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Locative singular; qualifying सोमवारे)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somavāra-Śiva-pūjā (kāla-tīrtha: sacred time observance)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Twilight Pradoṣa on a Monday: devotees circle a Śiva temple with lamps; the moon (Soma) shines above the liṅga sanctum; Śiva’s grace radiates as two streams—svarga and mokṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Somavāra (Monday)
• Pradoṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva worship grants both worldly uplift (svarga) and ultimate freedom (apavarga), with special potency on Mondays and Pradoṣa times.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific pilgrimage site is mentioned; the verse glorifies sacred time (Somavāra/Pradoṣa) as spiritually powerful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śiva-pūjā, especially on Monday, particularly when connected with Pradoṣa and other auspicious observances.