Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 144

Devanagari script

क्षमाप्य देवीं देवेशां नक्तमद्यात्स्वयं हविः । अनेन विधिना सार्धं मासि मासि ह्यपक्रमेत्

Transliteration

kṣamāpya devīṃ deveśāṃ naktamadyātsvayaṃ haviḥ | anena vidhinā sārdhaṃ māsi māsi hyapakramet

Translation

เมื่อขอขมาพระเทวีผู้เป็นจอมแห่งเทพแล้ว พึงฉันเฉพาะยามค่ำ โดยรับประทานหวิส คืออาหารบูชาที่เรียบง่ายด้วยตนเอง และพึงดำเนินวัตรนี้ตามวิธีเดียวกัน เดือนแล้วเดือนเล่าโดยลำดับ

Word by Word

• क्षमाप्य: having asked forgiveness; having appeased
• क्षमाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षम् (धातु) → क्षमाप्य (कृदन्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• देवेशाम्: the Lady of gods (Devī as Deveśī)
• देवेशाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवीम् इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन (देवेशी)

• नक्तम्: at night
• नक्तम्: Desha-Kala (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नक्तम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (at night)

• अद्यात्: should eat
• अद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्वयम्: oneself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Agent emphasis/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण (oneself)

• हविः: havis; sacrificial food
• हविः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन; अत्र अद्यात् इत्यस्य कर्म (food/oblation)

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधिना इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• विधिना: by the prescribed method
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• सार्धम्: together (with)
• सार्धम्: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (together with)

• मासि: in a month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मासि: in (each) month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्त्या आवृत्तिः (month by month)

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

• अपक्रमेत्: should proceed; should carry out (the observance)
• अपक्रमेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands before a Devī image with folded hands, offering apology; later, under moonlight, the devotee eats a small bowl of havis; a calendar wheel indicates monthly repetition.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual discipline is grounded in humility—begin by seeking the Goddess’s forgiveness and sustain steady practice month after month.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa, associated with the sacred Narmadā (Revā) region and its dharma of vows and offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nakta-niyama (eating only at night) with simple haviṣya-type food, maintained as a monthly sequence.