Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अष्टम्यां वा चतुर्दश्यां बलिपुष्पैश्च त्वां शुभे । ये पूजयंति ते पाल्याः सर्वापत्सु च या सदा

Transliteration

aṣṭamyāṃ vā caturdaśyāṃ balipuṣpaiśca tvāṃ śubhe | ye pūjayaṃti te pālyāḥ sarvāpatsu ca yā sadā

Translation

“吉祥者啊，凡于阿湿陀弥（Aṣṭamī）或十四日（Caturdaśī）以供献（bali）与花礼敬汝者，愿汝恒常护佑他们，于一切患难之中。”

Word by Word

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्याम्: अधिकरण (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-सप्तमी (locative of time)

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: ‘or’)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: अधिकरण (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-सप्तमी

• बलिपुष्पैः: with offering-flowers
• बलिपुष्पैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; साधन/करणवाचक (instrumental)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: ‘and’)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• शुभे: O auspicious one
• शुभे: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रयोग (vocative)

• ये: those who
• ये: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-यः-तद् (relative pronoun)

• पूजयन्ति: worship
• पूजयन्ति: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; तद्-प्रत्यय (correlative pronoun)

• पाल्याः: to be protected
• पाल्याः: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाल्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पाल् धातु, यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; ‘पालनीयाः’ (to be protected)

• सर्वापत्सु: in all calamities
• सर्वापत्सु: अधिकरण (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• या: she who
• या: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-यः-तद्; (अत्र ‘सा’ इत्यर्थे)

• सदा: always
• सदा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: always)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating; reported speech of the deities/guardians addressing Siddhamātā (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheyā-kṣetra (associated with Siddhamātā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee couple offers flowers and a small bali at a Devī shrine on Aṣṭamī/Caturdaśī; the Devī’s protective aura extends like a canopy over them while shadows of ‘adversities’ recede.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhamātā (addressed as śubhe)
• Aṣṭamī
• Caturdaśī
• Bali
• Kṣetrapāla-protection (theme)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship performed on sacred lunar days brings lasting protection; the deity becomes a guardian in times of संकट (āpadaḥ).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Siddheya-kṣetra, where the protective worship of the goddess is prescribed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship on Aṣṭamī or Caturdaśī with bali (offering) and flowers, seeking ongoing protection.