Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 159

Devanagari script

नित्यं नित्यं हि संमार्ष्टि गेहदर्पणयोरिव । शुक्लायां च चतुर्दश्यां नक्तभोजी सदा भवेत्

Transliteration

nityaṃ nityaṃ hi saṃmārṣṭi gehadarpaṇayoriva | śuklāyāṃ ca caturdaśyāṃ naktabhojī sadā bhavet

Translation

Tag für Tag soll er alles rein halten, wie man ein Haus säubert und einen Spiegel poliert. Und am vierzehnten Mondtag der hellen Monatshälfte soll er stets die Übung bewahren, nur nachts zu essen.

Word by Word

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचनप्रयोगः (adverbial accusative)

• नित्यम्: constantly
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (repetition for emphasis)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/हेतुबोधक-निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• संमार्ष्टि: cleans/polishes
• संमार्ष्टि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√मृज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गेह-दर्पणयोः: of the house and the mirror
• गेह-दर्पणयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गेह (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (गेहश्च दर्पणश्च)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• शुक्लायाम्: in the bright (fortnight)
• शुक्लायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘(तिथौ) शुक्लायाम्’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• नक्त-भोजी: one who eats at night
• नक्त-भोजी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (नक्तं भोजी = who eats at night)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee sweeping and washing a small shrine room; a polished mirror reflects a lamp flame; later, under moonlight, he takes a simple night meal after worship.

Characters & Entities

• Śukla-caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer cleanliness supports inner clarity; periodic fasting disciplines the senses and strengthens devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse teaches a tithi-based Śaiva discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain daily cleanliness; observe nakta-bhojana (night-only meal) on śukla-caturdaśī.