Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ततश्च शिशिरे प्राप्ते सायं प्रातः समाहिता । एकांतरोपवासैः सा स्नानं चक्रे नृपात्मजा

Transliteration

tataśca śiśire prāpte sāyaṃ prātaḥ samāhitā | ekāṃtaropavāsaiḥ sā snānaṃ cakre nṛpātmajā

Translation

শিশিরকাল এলে রাজকন্যা মন একাগ্র করে সন্ধ্যা ও প্রাতে স্নান করল এবং একদিন অন্তর উপবাস পালন করল।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमवाचक — Indeclinable; sequential adverb

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक — conjunction

• शिशिरे: in Śiśira (late winter)
• शिशिरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• प्राप्ते: when (it) had arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्समये (locative absolute) कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Locative absolute: ‘when (it) had arrived’

• सायम्: in the evening
• सायम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सायम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक — temporal adverb

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक — temporal adverb

• समाहिता: composed, attentive
• समाहिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + धा (धातु) → समाहित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• एक-अन्तर-उपवासैः: by alternate-day fasts
• एक-अन्तर-उपवासैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + अन्तर + उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; तत्पुरुष-समास (एकेन अन्तरेण उपवासः = fasting on alternate days)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; सर्वनाम

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चक्रे: did, performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Atmanepada

• नृप-आत्मजा: the king’s daughter
• नृप-आत्मजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + आत्मजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; तत्पुरुष-समास (नृपस्य आत्मजा)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In late winter, the princess-devotee, wrapped against the cold, walks to the water at dusk and again at dawn; her face is calm, reflecting inner concentration; fasting marks her restraint.

Characters & Entities

• nṛpātmajā (king’s daughter)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadiness across seasons—regular bathing and measured fasting—builds tapas that supports devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is implicit in the surrounding māhātmya; this verse highlights the sādhana performed at the sacred place rather than naming it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing twice daily (evening and dawn) and ekāntaropavāsa—fasting on alternate days.