Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

रक्षिभिर्बहुभिर्गुप्तं तिर्य ग्ध्वनिपुरःसरम् । अमावास्यां महादेवि क्षिपेत्पूजाक्रमैर्नरः

Transliteration

rakṣibhirbahubhirguptaṃ tirya gdhvanipuraḥsaram | amāvāsyāṃ mahādevi kṣipetpūjākramairnaraḥ

Translation

О Махадеви, в ночь новолуния человек должен, следуя должному порядку поклонения, совершить выбрасывание (обряда/подношений), при множестве выставленных стражей, среди боковых шумов и с гулким криком, идущим впереди.

Word by Word

• रक्षिभिः: by guards/protectors
• रक्षिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• बहुभिः: by many
• बहुभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural (agreeing with रक्षिभिः)

• गुप्तम्: protected/guarded
• गुप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त (कृदन्त; √गुप् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle (क्त)

• तिर्यक्: sideways/obliquely
• तिर्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तिर्यक् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb

• ध्वनि: sound/noise
• ध्वनि: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग); stem in compound

• पुरःसरम्: (one) preceded by noise
• पुरःसरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक; पुरः + √सृ (धातु) + अण्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘ध्वनिः पुरःसरः यस्य’ इति (sound as forerunner)

• अमावास्याम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative) विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘महती देवी’

• क्षिपेत्: should throw/cast
• क्षिपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Optative 3rd sg

• पूजाक्रमैः: by (means of) ritual sequences of worship
• पूजाक्रमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजाक्रम (प्रातिपदिक; पूजा + क्रम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guarded nocturnal procession: many watchmen with staffs/torches encircle the ritual leader; amid sideways, eerie sounds and a clamorous vanguard, offerings/ritual objects are cast forth according to worship sequence; the Goddess is invoked as Mahādevī.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī
• Amāvāsyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Powerful rites are to be performed with discipline—proper pūjā order, protection, and ritual containment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, the sacred geography context for this ritual prescription.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing an Amāvāsyā rite according to pūjā-krama, with many guards and a noisy/processional setting.