Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

आश्विनस्य च मासस्य नवरात्रे विशेषतः । उपोष्य चैकभक्तैर्वा देवीस्त्वेताः प्रपूजयेत्

Transliteration

āśvinasya ca māsasya navarātre viśeṣataḥ | upoṣya caikabhaktairvā devīstvetāḥ prapūjayet

Translation

خصوصاً ماہِ آشون کی نَو راتریوں میں، روزہ رکھ کر یا ایک بھکت (ایک وقت کا بھوجن) کی پابندی کے ساتھ، اِن دیویوں کی خاص بھکتی سے پوجا کرنی چاہیے۔

Word by Word

• āśvinasya: of Āśvina (month)
• āśvinasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśvina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

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

• māsasya: of the month
• māsasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• navarātre: during the nine nights (Navarātra)
• navarātre: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nava + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (नव + रात्र)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय: विशेषार्थक (especially)

• upoṣya: having fasted
• upoṣya: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + vas (धातु) → upoṣya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; अर्थ: उपवासं कृत्वा (having fasted)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय: समुच्चयार्थक

• ekabhaktaiḥ: by those who take a single meal
• ekabhaktaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka + bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (एकं भक्तं येषां/एकभक्त)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Disjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय: विकल्पार्थक (or)

• devīḥ: the goddesses
• devīḥ: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक (but/indeed)

• etāḥ: these
• etāḥ: Karman (Apposition to object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• prapūjayet: should worship
• prapūjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + pūj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थ: पूजयेत् (should worship)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Navatīrtha (Devī-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Navarātra nights in a tīrtha-town: devotees with fasting discipline, lamps in rows, Devī icons adorned, offerings arranged; a sense of heightened sacred time.

Characters & Entities

• Āśvina māsa
• Navarātra
• Devīs (these goddesses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seasonal sacred time (kāla) intensifies merit: disciplined worship in Navarātra yields heightened auspicious results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same nava-tīrtha region where these Devīs are established; the verse focuses on the time for worship rather than naming a new site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Navarātra pūjā in Āśvina with either upavāsa (fasting) or eka-bhakta (one meal a day) observance.