Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

राजापि पश्चिमां संध्यामुपास्य नियमान्वितः । जजाप तत्र च वने गायत्रीं वेदमातरम्

Transliteration

rājāpi paścimāṃ saṃdhyāmupāsya niyamānvitaḥ | jajāpa tatra ca vane gāyatrīṃ vedamātaram

Translation

Auch der König, in Gelübden und Regeln gefestigt, verrichtete die Abenddämmerungsverehrung nach Westen; und dort im Wald rezitierte er die Gāyatrī, die Mutter der Veden.

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे ‘also’

• पश्चिमाम्: western
• पश्चिमाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• संध्याम्: twilight (evening)
• संध्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उपास्य: having worshipped/observed
• उपास्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप-आस् (धातु) → उपास्य (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय/gerund)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• नियम: disciplines, observances
• नियम: Sambandha (In compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (नियमैः इत्यर्थः; पाठे ‘नियमान्वितः’ समासे पूर्वपद)

• अन्वितः: endowed with
• अन्वितः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक/क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• जजाप: recited (japa)
• जजाप: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गायत्रीम्: the Gāyatrī (mantra)
• गायत्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वेदमातरम्: mother of the Vedas
• वेदमातरम्: Karma (Apposition to object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: वेदस्य माता (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Rāmeśvara-Setu region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined king at twilight in a forest clearing, facing west, hands in añjali, performing sāyaṃ-sandhyā; subtle radiance around him as he recites Gāyatrī.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmagupta
• Gāyatrī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustained by daily discipline—Sandhyā worship and Gāyatrī-japa remain obligatory even in hardship, travel, or wilderness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Rāmeśvara region is the larger sacred frame of Setukhaṇḍa; the verse highlights portable dharma practiced en route.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Evening Sandhyā (saṃdhyopāsanā) and Gāyatrī-japa are explicitly mentioned.