Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

यश्च पूजयते देवीं स्वल्पेन बहुनापि वा । कात्यायनी कोटिशतैर्वृता तस्य विभूतिदा

Transliteration

yaśca pūjayate devīṃ svalpena bahunāpi vā | kātyāyanī koṭiśatairvṛtā tasya vibhūtidā

Translation

ఎవడు స్వల్పముతో గాని, బహువుతో గాని దేవిని పూజిస్తాడో, అతనికి కోటిశతైః పరివృతమైన కాత్యాయనీ విభూతి-ఐశ్వర్యాలను ప్రసాదిస్తుంది।

Word by Word

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

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

• pūjayate: worships
• pūjayate: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• devīm: the goddess
• devīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• svalpena: with little (offering)
• svalpena: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/परिमाणवाचक (measure)

• bahunā: with much (offering)
• bahunā: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/परिमाणवाचक (measure)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

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

• kātyāyanī: Kātyāyanī
• kātyāyanī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kātyāyanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• koṭiśataiḥ: with hundreds of crores
• koṭiśataiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭiśata (प्रातिपदिक) = koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; संख्यासमास (numerical compound)

• vṛtā: surrounded
• vṛtā: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘surrounded’ (agreeing with kātyāyanī)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vibhūtidā: giver of prosperity/power
• vibhūtidā: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vibhūtidā (प्रातिपदिक) = vibhūti (प्रातिपदिक) + dā (धातु/प्रातिपदिक ‘giver’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying kātyāyanī)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kātyāyanī stands radiant, attended by innumerable śaktis/gaṇas; a poor devotee offers a single flower while a wealthy patron offers many items—both receive equal grace shown as a halo of vibhūti around them.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Kātyāyanī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess values devotion over expenditure; even simple worship can attract her grace and vibhūti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the chapter’s tīrtha-centered Devī worship; the specific locale is implied as the same “this tīrtha” described nearby.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devī-pūjā (worship of the Goddess) is prescribed, explicitly allowing both modest and elaborate offerings.