Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

प्रातर्भोज्याः प्रयत्नेन चतुर्दशकुमारिकाः । अलंकृता यथाशक्त्या स्रगंबरविभूषणैः

Transliteration

prātarbhojyāḥ prayatnena caturdaśakumārikāḥ | alaṃkṛtā yathāśaktyā sragaṃbaravibhūṣaṇaiḥ

Translation

清晨时分，应当殷勤周到地供食十四位少女；并依各自能力，以花鬘、衣裳与饰物为她们庄严装饰。

Word by Word

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: in the morning)

• भोज्याः: to be fed
• भोज्याः: Visheshya-predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोज्य (प्रातिपदिक; √भुज् से यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be fed)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• चतुर्दशकुमारिकाः: fourteen maidens
• चतुर्दशकुमारिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दश + कुमारिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विगु (चतुर्दश कुमारिकाः)

• अलंकृता: adorned
• अलंकृता: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अलम् + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे (predicative)

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: as/according to)

• शक्त्या: ability
• शक्त्या: Karana (Measure/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्रक्: garlands
• स्रक्: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रज्/स्रक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (स्रग्भिः इत्यर्थे; पदे समासाङ्गत्वात् रूप-लोपः)

• अम्बर: garments
• अम्बर: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (अम्बरैः इत्यर्थे; समासाङ्ग)

• विभूषणैः: ornaments
• विभूषणैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśālākṣī-vrata (at Viśāla Tīrtha/Viśālākṣī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Morning after vigil: fourteen adorned maidens seated in a row, being served sweet rice and fruits; garlands, new cloth, and small ornaments are offered as devotees bow with reverence, seeing them as Devī’s forms.

Characters & Entities

• Kumārikāḥ (fourteen maidens)
• Viśālākṣī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion matures into compassion and honoring śakti in living forms; worship is completed through respectful giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Viśālākṣī-centered observance in Kāśī (as part of the Adhyāya’s rite-sequence).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feed fourteen kumārikās in the morning and adorn them with garlands, clothing, and ornaments as per one’s capacity.