Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 159

Devanagari script

महाकाल उवाच । उचिता प्रतिपत्तिश्च कार्या सर्वेषु नित्यशः । प्रतिपत्तिं चोचितां ते विना गृह्णन्ति नैव च

Transliteration

mahākāla uvāca | ucitā pratipattiśca kāryā sarveṣu nityaśaḥ | pratipattiṃ cocitāṃ te vinā gṛhṇanti naiva ca

Translation

摩诃迦罗说道：“一切事上、恒常之时，都当遵行相应的正当仪则；若无如法的行持，他们便全然不受（供品）。”

Word by Word

• महाकालः: Mahākāla
• महाकालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—महान् कालः (महाकालः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• उचिता: proper/appropriate
• उचिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उचित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वच्/वच्? actually √उच् not; standard: उचित from √वच्?; here treated as adjective stem ‘उचित’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• प्रतिपत्तिः: procedure/observance
• प्रतिपत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• कार्या: to be done/should be performed
• कार्या: Kriya (Predicative necessity/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ + यत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• सर्वेषु: in all (cases/rites)
• सर्वेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• नित्यशः: always
• नित्यशः: Kriya-viseshana (Time/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (always/constantly)

• प्रतिपत्तिम्: the procedure
• प्रतिपत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• उचिताम्: proper
• उचिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उचित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रतिपत्तिम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन (enclitic); ‘of you/your’

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana/Viśeṣaṇa (Exclusion/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात (preposition-like indeclinable)

• गृह्णन्ति: they accept/take
• गृह्णन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

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

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: Kriya-viseshana (Emphasis/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

Speaker

Mahākāla

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahākāla, as a divine/authoritative voice, instructs that proper observance is mandatory and that offerings without due procedure are not accepted; the scene may show a temple sanctum aura or a ritual hall with fire.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Pratipatti (proper procedure)
• Offerings/acceptance

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not only intention but also right method; proper observance is what makes offerings efficacious and acceptable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Follow ucitā pratipatti—proper, fitting procedure—because recipients do not accept offerings without it.