Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अष्टम्यां वा चतुर्द्दश्यां पूज्योऽसौ बलिभिर्नरैः । वांछितार्थप्रदः सम्यक्स कलौ कल्पपादपः

Transliteration

aṣṭamyāṃ vā caturddaśyāṃ pūjyo'sau balibhirnaraiḥ | vāṃchitārthapradaḥ samyaksa kalau kalpapādapaḥ

Translation

ਅਸ਼ਟਮੀ ਜਾਂ ਚਤੁਰਦਸ਼ੀ ਨੂੰ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਬਲਿ-ਭੇਟਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਨ; ਉਹ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਿਤ ਹੀ ਇੱਛਿਤ ਅਰਥ ਦਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ—ਕਲਿਯੁਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਲਪਵ੍ਰਿਕਸ਼ ਵਾਂਗ।

Word by Word

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• पूज्यः: worthy to be worshipped
• पूज्यः: Vidhyartha-Predicate (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त; √पूज् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive potential participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'to be worshipped'

• असौ: he/that one
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• बलिभिः: with offerings
• बलिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent, in passive sense)/कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• वाञ्छितार्थप्रदः: giver of desired aims
• वाञ्छितार्थप्रदः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाञ्छित + अर्थ + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वाञ्छितस्य अर्थस्य प्रदः = giver of desired object); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सम्यक्: properly, fully
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• कल्पपादपः: a wish-fulfilling tree
• कल्पपादपः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प + पादप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (कल्पः पादपः = wish-fulfilling tree); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kālamegha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-time aṣṭamī/caturdaśī worship: devotees approach the kṣetrapāla-liṅga with bali offerings, lamps flicker, the sky is dark like a rain cloud; the liṅga radiates protective power, granting boons.

Characters & Entities

• Kālamegha
• Aṣṭamī
• Caturdaśī
• Bali
• Kali-yuga
• Kalpavṛkṣa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in Kali-yuga, disciplined worship on prescribed tithis is upheld as an effective path to attain legitimate aims through divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kālamegha, the kṣetrapāla-liṅga associated with Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pūjā to Kālamegha on Aṣṭamī or Caturdaśī, offering bali.