Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

ततस्ताः पुष्पधूपाद्यैः समभ्यर्च्य चिरं द्विजः । त्रिसंध्यं क्रमशः प्राप्तो देहांते भास्करालयम्

Transliteration

tatastāḥ puṣpadhūpādyaiḥ samabhyarcya ciraṃ dvijaḥ | trisaṃdhyaṃ kramaśaḥ prāpto dehāṃte bhāskarālayam

Translation

ثم إنّ ذلك الثنائيّ الميلاد عبدها زمنًا طويلًا بالزهور والبخور وما شابه؛ ومع محافظته على سندهيا الثلاث كلّ يوم على الترتيب، بلغ عند نهاية جسده مقام بهاسكارا، ربّ الشمس.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्ययीभावार्थ/क्रमसूचक — 'then/from there'

• ताः: those (them)
• ताः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन — 'them (those [images])'

• पुष्प-धूप-आद्यैः: with flowers, incense, etc.
• पुष्प-धूप-आद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + धूप (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन — 'with flowers, incense, etc.'

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + √अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव — 'having duly worshipped'

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण — 'for a long time'

• द्विजः: the twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'the brāhmaṇa'

• त्रि-सन्ध्यम्: at the three daily junctions
• त्रि-सन्ध्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास, क्रियाविशेषण — 'thrice daily/at the three sandhyās'

• क्रमशः: gradually
• क्रमशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रमशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — 'in order/gradually'

• प्राप्तः: reached
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — 'having attained/reached' (finite sense with 'dvijaḥ')

• देह-अन्ते: at death
• देह-अन्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — 'at the end of the body (at death)'

• भास्कर-आलयम्: the abode of Bhāskara (Sun)
• भास्कर-आलयम्: Karman (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — 'Sun's abode'

Speaker

Narrative (implied Purāṇic narrator; immediate next verse marks Sūta speaking)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dvija performs long-term worship of three Sūrya images with flowers and incense; the day cycles through three sandhyās; at life’s end, a radiant solar chariot or golden gateway receives him into Bhāskara’s abode.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Dvija (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady worship with daily discipline (tri-sandhyā) leads to exalted posthumous attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Sūrya-centered sacred setting within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the verse emphasizes Bhāskara’s abode rather than naming a single place here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship with flowers and incense, along with regular observance of the three daily sandhyā rites.