Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 192

Devanagari script

चंडिकायतने पुण्ये सेवध्वं हि ममाज्ञया । विशेषेणाश्विने मासि कृष्णपक्षेंऽत्यवासरे

Transliteration

caṃḍikāyatane puṇye sevadhvaṃ hi mamājñayā | viśeṣeṇāśvine māsi kṛṣṇapakṣeṃ'tyavāsare

Translation

奉我之命，当往来侍奉旃迪迦（Caṇḍikā）那座功德清净的圣所；尤当在阿湿毗那月，于黑半月（kṛṣṇa-pakṣa）最后一日。

Word by Word

• चण्डिकायतने: in the shrine/temple of Caṇḍikā
• चण्डिकायतने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डिका-आयतन (प्रातिपदिक; चण्डिका + आयतन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चण्डिकायाः आयतनम्) — Locative singular neuter

• पुण्ये: in the holy (place)
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् — Locative singular neuter (qualifying ‘āyatane’)

• सेवध्वम्: (you all) worship/serve
• सेवध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम् — ‘you all should serve/worship’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम — Genitive singular ‘my’

• आज्ञया: by (my) command
• आज्ञया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः — Instrumental used adverbially (‘especially’)

• आश्विने: in (the month) Āśvina
• आश्विने: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आश्विन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् — Locative singular (qualifying ‘māsi’)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — Locative singular

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; कृष्ण + पक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘कृष्णः पक्षः’) — Locative singular

• अन्त्यवासरे: on the last day
• अन्त्यवासरे: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त्य-अवसर/अवसर (प्रातिपदिक; अन्त्य + अवसर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘अन्त्यः अवसरः/वासरः’) — Locative singular

Speaker

Indra (implied command within Pulastya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caṇḍikāyatana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Caṇḍikā temple on a moonless Āśvina night; devotees approach with lamps and offerings; the air is charged, with protective yantra-like patterns and a sense of threshold-time (amāvāsyā).

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍikā
• Āśvina māsa
• Kṛṣṇa pakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time and sacred place combine powerfully; specific lunar dates at a Devī shrine carry heightened spiritual consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Caṇḍikāyatana—the holy temple/shrine of Goddess Caṇḍikā within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā/worship at Caṇḍikā’s shrine, particularly on the last day of the dark fortnight in Āśvina.