Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

गौरीवल्लभ देवेश सर्वाद्य शशिशेखर । वर्षपापविशुद्ध्यर्थमर्घो मे प्रतिगृह्यताम्

Transliteration

gaurīvallabha deveśa sarvādya śaśiśekhara | varṣapāpaviśuddhyarthamargho me pratigṛhyatām

Translation

హే గౌరీవల్లభా, హే దేవేశా, హే సర్వాద్యా, హే శశిశేఖరా! సంవత్సరపు పాపశుద్ధి కొరకు నేను అర్పించిన ఈ అర్ఘ్యాన్ని స్వీకరించుము.

Word by Word

• गौरीवल्लभ: O beloved of Gaurī
• गौरीवल्लभ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी-वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• देवेश: O lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• सर्वाद्य: O primordial of all
• सर्वाद्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• शशिशेखर: O moon-crested one
• शशिशेखर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशि-शेखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• वर्षपापविशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for the purification from the sins of the year
• वर्षपापविशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर्ष-पाप-विशुद्धि-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अर्थम्-प्रयोगे हेत्वर्थक-अव्ययवत् (for the purpose of); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (adverbial accusative of purpose)

• अर्घः: this arghya offering
• अर्घः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• प्रतिगृह्यताम्: may (it) be accepted
• प्रतिगृह्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; आज्ञार्थः (let it be accepted)

Speaker

Ritual practitioner/devotee (standard arghya-prārthanā within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee lifts an arghya vessel toward Śiva, reciting epithets—Gaurīvallabha, Deveśa, Sarvādyā, Śaśiśekhara—seeking cleansing of the year’s sins; moon imagery subtly echoes Śiva’s crescent.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaurī
• Śaśiśekhara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere surrender and offering to Śiva is presented as a means of purification and moral renewal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse focuses on Śiva worship and purification; it does not specify a named tīrtha in its wording.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer arghya to Śiva with an explicit intention: purification from the sins accumulated over the year.