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

尤其在阿湿毗那月的九夜节（Navarātra）期间，应以殊胜虔敬礼拜诸女神——或持斋禁食，或行“一日一食”（eka-bhakta）之戒。

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.