Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

अध्यर्द्धाष्टमजा पीडा नाऽस्य कार्या त्वया विभो । शमी समिद्भिर्यो होमं तवोद्देशेन यच्छति

Transliteration

adhyarddhāṣṭamajā pīḍā nā'sya kāryā tvayā vibho | śamī samidbhiryo homaṃ tavoddeśena yacchati

Translation

ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า อย่าทรงบันดาลความทุกข์ที่เกิดจากอัธยรรธาษฏมีแก่เขาเลย ผู้ใดบูชาไฟ (โหมะ) ด้วยฟืนศมี และอุทิศถวายในพระนามของพระองค์…

Word by Word

• अध्यर्द्धाष्टमजा: arising from the adhyarddhāṣṭama (period)
• अध्यर्द्धाष्टमजा: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अध्यर्द्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (अध्यर्द्ध-अष्टम-जा = 'born from adhyarddhāṣṭama'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पीडा)

• पीडा: pain/affliction
• पीडा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• अस्य: of him/of this person
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कार्या: to be done/should be done
• कार्या: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate qualifier/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु √कृ) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• विभो: O Lord/mighty one
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• शमी: śamī (a tree/wood)
• शमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समिद्भिः: with fuel-sticks
• समिद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समिध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• होमम्: homa/oblatory rite
• होमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तव: of you/for you
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• उद्देशेन: with the intention/dedication
• उद्देशेन: Hetu/Prayojana (Purpose/हेतु-प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• यच्छति: offers/gives
• यच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु √यम्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (addressing a deity or powerful being as vibhu; continuation implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/sages in the frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A homa-kuṇḍa blazes beside a Śiva shrine; a devotee offers śamī twigs into the fire while chanting, with the deity invoked as protector who withholds the Adhyarddhāṣṭamī-born affliction.

Characters & Entities

• Adhyarddhāṣṭamī
• Śamī (Prosopis cineraria)
• Homa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional rites done with proper materials and dedication are portrayed as protective, reducing suffering and obstacles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual teaching appears inside the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Homa using śamī kindling (śamī-samid) dedicated to the addressed deity, as a pacificatory/protective act.