Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तत्र मातृगणान्देवि सुनंदाद्यान्विधानतः । पशुपुष्पोपहारैश्च धूपदीपैस्तथोत्तमैः । विप्राणां भोजनैर्देवि तस्य सिद्धिर्भविष्यति

Transliteration

tatra mātṛgaṇāndevi sunaṃdādyānvidhānataḥ | paśupuṣpopahāraiśca dhūpadīpaistathottamaiḥ | viprāṇāṃ bhojanairdevi tasya siddhirbhaviṣyati

Translation

在那里，女神啊，应依仪轨礼敬诸母神众，自善难陀（Sunandā）等起，以所规定之牲献、花与供品，并以殊胜香与明灯供养。又以饮食施与婆罗门，女神啊，他的成就必得圆满。

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• mātṛgaṇān: the groups of Mothers (Mātṛs)
• mātṛgaṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mātṝṇāṃ gaṇāḥ)

• devi: O Goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8), एकवचन

• sunandādyān: beginning with Sunandā, etc.
• sunandādyān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sunandā + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (sunandā-ādi ‘beginning with Sunandā’); विशेषण mātṛgaṇān प्रति

• vidhānataḥ: according to prescribed procedure
• vidhānataḥ: Prakaraṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘according to rule’

• paśu: animal (offering)
• paśu: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• puṣpa: flowers
• puṣpa: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• upahāraiḥ: with offerings (animals, flowers, etc.)
• upahāraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upahāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (paśu + puṣpa + upahāra) समाहार/इतरेतर-भावेन ‘offerings of animals and flowers’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• dhūpa: incense
• dhūpa: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• dīpaiḥ: with incense and lamps
• dīpaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (dhūpa + dīpa)

• tathā: likewise; also
• tathā: Prakaraṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb)

• uttamaiḥ: excellent; best
• uttamaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3), बहुवचन; विशेषण (dhūpadīpaiḥ/upahāraiḥ प्रति)

• viprāṇām: of Brahmins
• viprāṇām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6), बहुवचन

• bhojanaiḥ: with meals/feeding
• bhojanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3), बहुवचन

• devi: O Goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• tasya: of him/that (practice)
• tasya: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6), एकवचन

• siddhiḥ: success; accomplishment
• siddhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन

• bhaviṣyati: will be; will occur
• bhaviṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Prabhāsa Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīmukha-dvāra (Mātṛgaṇa-sthāna)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as devi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual scene at the gateway shrine: Mātṛkās in a semicircle, Sunandā foremost; offerings arranged—flowers, incense, lamps; a bali-platform indicated; brāhmaṇas seated for bhojana; the devotee completes the rite with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛgaṇa
• Sunandā
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual devotion is completed by dharmic conduct—especially hospitality and feeding of Brāhmaṇas—leading to siddhi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śrīmukha/Arkasthala sphere in Prabhāsa Kṣetra where the Mātṛgaṇas are worshipped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship the Mātṛgaṇas (starting with Sunandā) with prescribed offerings, incense and lamps, and perform brāhmaṇa-bhojana (feeding Brāhmaṇas).