Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

यस्तं पूजयते मर्त्यः कृष्णाष्टम्यां विधानतः । स मुक्तः पातकैर्घोरैर्नागलोके महीयते

Transliteration

yastaṃ pūjayate martyaḥ kṛṣṇāṣṭamyāṃ vidhānataḥ | sa muktaḥ pātakairghorairnāgaloke mahīyate

Translation

ਜੋ ਮਰਤ੍ਯ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨਾਸ਼ਟਮੀ ਨੂੰ ਵਿਧੀ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹ ਭਿਆਨਕ ਪਾਤਕਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਮੁਕਤ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਨਾਗਲੋਕ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਨਮਾਨਿਤ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निर्देश्य-सर्वनाम

• पूजयते: worships
• पूजयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कृष्णाष्टम्याम्: on the Krishna-ashtami (8th lunar day of the dark fortnight)
• कृष्णाष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णा + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक-समास (कृष्णपक्षस्य अष्टमी)

• विधानतः: according to rule/ritual
• विधानतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अन्वादेश-सर्वनाम (correlative)

• मुक्तः: freed
• मुक्तः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पातकैः: from sins
• पातकैः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• घोरैः: terrible
• घोरैः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (पातकैः)

• नागलोके: in the world of the Nāgas
• नागलोके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग + लोक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नागानां लोकः)

• महीयते: is honored/glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṣṭakuleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night of Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī: devotees with lamps and offerings worship Aṣṭakuleśvara; a protective serpent-hood (nāga-phaṇa) appears as a divine canopy above the liṅga; a visionary glimpse of Nāga-loka—jeweled subterranean palace with Nāgas honoring the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Aṣṭakuleśvara
• Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī
• Nāga-loka
• pātaka (sins)
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Timely, rule-based worship transforms destiny—purifying grave sins and granting exalted recognition beyond the human realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aṣṭakuleśvara shrine in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform worship (pūjā) on Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī in accordance with proper procedure (vidhānataḥ).