Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

कृष्णपक्षे चतुर्दश्यां श्रद्धायुक्तेन चेतसा । तासामनुचरा देवि भूतप्रेताश्च कोटिशः

Transliteration

kṛṣṇapakṣe caturdaśyāṃ śraddhāyuktena cetasā | tāsāmanucarā devi bhūtapretāśca koṭiśaḥ

Translation

தேவி! கிருஷ்ணபட்சத்தின் சதுர்தசி நாளில், श्रद्धையுடன் கூடிய மனத்தால்—அந்த மாத்ருக்களின் அணுசரர்களாக கோடிக்கணக்கான பூத-பிரேதங்கள் உள்ளன.

Word by Word

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine); कर्मधारयः (‘dark’ + ‘fortnight’)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• श्रद्धायुक्तेन: endowed with faith
• श्रद्धायुक्तेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (‘endowed with faith’); चेतसा इति विशेषण

• चेतसा: with mind
• चेतसा: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• तासाम्: of them
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine pronoun)

• अनुचराः: attendants
• अनुचराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• भूतप्रेताः: ghosts and spirits
• भूतप्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (‘bhūtas and pretas’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कोटिशः: in crores; countless
• कोटिशः: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + शस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (adverbial: ‘in crores’, ‘by crores’)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mātṛ-sthānas of Prabhāsa (caturdaśī emphasis)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (explicitly addressed as devi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night of kṛṣṇa-pakṣa caturdaśī: devotees with lamps and offerings worship the Mothers; behind the shrines, vast hosts of bhūtas and pretas stand as disciplined attendants, forming a protective perimeter rather than a threat.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa
• Caturdaśī
• Mātṛs
• Bhūta
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith and correct ritual timing acknowledge unseen forces; worship aligns the devotee with protective divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Mātṛs are worshipped and described with their attendant hosts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance and worship context tied to Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa Caturdaśī, performed with śraddhā.