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Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

तस्य वै रक्षणार्थाय महाकालस्य चोत्तरे । नियुक्ताश्च महादेवि मातरस्तत्र संस्थिताः । तस्मिन्स्नात्वा नरः पूर्वं मातॄस्ताश्च प्रपूजयेत्

tasya vai rakṣaṇārthāya mahākālasya cottare | niyuktāśca mahādevi mātarastatra saṃsthitāḥ | tasminsnātvā naraḥ pūrvaṃ mātṝstāśca prapūjayet

เพื่อคุ้มครองสถานศักดิ์สิทธิ์นั้น และทางทิศเหนือแห่งมหากาละ โอ้พระมหาเทวี เหล่าเทวีมารดา (มาตฤกา) ได้รับแต่งตั้งและประทับอยู่ ณ ที่นั้น ครั้นอาบน้ำชำระที่จุดนั้นแล้ว บุคคลพึงบูชาเหล่ามารดาเหล่านั้นก่อน

तस्यof it
तस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — ‘of it/of that (tīrtha)’
वैindeed
वै:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय — निश्चयार्थक (emphatic particle)
रक्षणार्थायfor protection
रक्षणार्थाय:
Sampradāna (Purpose/Beneficiary)
TypeNoun
Rootरक्षण + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिके)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/Dative), एकवचन — ‘for the purpose of protection’ (अर्थे चतुर्थी)
महाकालस्यof Mahākāla
महाकालस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootमहा + काल (प्रातिपदिके)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — ‘of Mahākāla’
and
:
Sambandha (Conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय — समुच्चय (and)
उत्तरेto the north/in the northern part
उत्तरे:
Adhikaraṇa (Location)
TypeNoun
Rootउत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — ‘in the northern (side/region)’
नियुक्ताःappointed
नियुक्ताः:
Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
TypeAdjective
Rootनि + युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (‘appointed/assigned’)
and
:
Sambandha (Conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय — समुच्चय
महादेविO great goddess
महादेवि:
Sambodhana (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootमहादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन — संबोधन पद
मातरःthe Mothers (Mātṛ deities)
मातरः:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootमातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘mothers (Mātṛs)’
तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikaraṇa (Location)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय — देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण
संस्थिताःstationed
संस्थिताः:
Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
TypeAdjective
Rootसम् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (‘stationed/settled’)
तस्मिन्in that (place)
तस्मिन्:
Adhikaraṇa (Location)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — ‘in that (place)’
स्नात्वाhaving bathed
स्नात्वा:
Purvakala (Prior action)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस्ना (धातु) + त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having bathed’
नरःa man
नरः:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootनर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘man’
पूर्वम्first
पूर्वम्:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपूर्वम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय — कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (first/before)
मातॄःthe Mothers (Mātṛs)
मातॄः:
Karman (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootमातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — ‘the Mothers’
ताःthose
ताः:
Karman (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — ‘those (them)’
and
:
Sambandha (Conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय — समुच्चय
प्रपूजयेत्should worship
प्रपूजयेत्:
Kriya (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + पूज् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘should worship’

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha: Mahodaya (contextual tīrtha within Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Scene: A circular sacred bathing spot near a northern shrine of Mahākāla; a pilgrim emerges from the water and turns to worship a row of Mātṛkās stationed as guardians, with tridents, lotuses, and protective gestures.

M
Mahākāla
M
Mahādevī
M
Mātṛs (Mātṛkās)

FAQs

Sacred sites are upheld by divine guardians; proper pilgrimage includes honoring protective powers (the Mātṛs) in the correct ritual sequence.

A bathing spot/tīrtha in Prabhāsakṣetra associated with Mahodaya’s circuit, located north of Mahākāla, where the Mātṛs are stationed.

After bathing there, one should first worship the Mātṛs (Mātṛkās) appointed for the site’s protection.