Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तस्यां रात्रौ हि मे पूजां यः करिष्यति मानवः । मंत्रैरेतैः सुरश्रेष्ठ विपाप्मा स भविष्यति

Transliteration

tasyāṃ rātrau hi me pūjāṃ yaḥ kariṣyati mānavaḥ | maṃtrairetaiḥ suraśreṣṭha vipāpmā sa bhaviṣyati

Translation

தேவர்களில் சிறந்தவரே! அந்த இரவில் இம்மந்திரங்களால் என்னை வழிபடும் மனிதன் நிச்சயமாகப் பாவமற்றவனாக ஆகுவான்.

Word by Word

• तस्याम्: on that (night)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (तस्यां रात्रौ) इति कालाधिकरणे

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; मम (of me)

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• करिष्यति: will do/perform
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मानवः: a man/person
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; यः इत्यस्य विशेष्यः

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• एतैः: with these
• एतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; मन्त्रैः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of the gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• विपाप्मा: sinless
• विपाप्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (निर्दोषः)

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

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: surश्रेष्ठ (addressed as ‘best of the gods’ within the narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs night-time Śiva worship at a tīrtha shrine, lamp-light flickering, offering flowers and arghya, with an atmosphere of solemn purification and vow.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• mantra
• Sureśvara/Indra (listener implied)
• Śivarātri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra-guided worship on Śivarātri is presented as a direct means to become free from sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes the sacred night and method (mantra-pūjā) rather than a single geographical tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śiva-pūjā on that night using the specified mantras (as given in the surrounding text).