Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । पुरश्चरणसंज्ञां तु सप्तमीं वद सूतज । विधिना केन कर्तव्या कस्मिन्काल उपस्थिते

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | puraścaraṇasaṃjñāṃ tu saptamīṃ vada sūtaja | vidhinā kena kartavyā kasminkāla upasthite

Translation

Die Weisen sprachen: „O Sohn des Sūta, verkünde uns die Saptamī, die Puraścaraṇa genannt wird: nach welchem Ritus ist sie zu vollziehen, und zu welcher Zeit soll man sie beginnen?“

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु; लिट्-रूप ‘ऊचुः’)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पुरश्चरणसंज्ञाम्: the designation ‘puraścaraṇa’
• पुरश्चरणसंज्ञाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरश्चरण + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: पुरस् + चरण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पुरश्चरण-इति संज्ञा)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• सप्तमीम्: the saptamī (observance)
• सप्तमीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सूतज: O son of Sūta
• सूतज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सूतस्य जः/पुत्रः)

• विधिना: by what procedure
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• केन: by which/with what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• कर्तव्या: to be performed
• कर्तव्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कर्तव्य)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सप्तमी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्—‘कर्तव्या’ = ‘to be done’

• कस्मिन्: in which
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• काले: time
• काले: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• उपस्थिते: when (it is) present/arrived
• उपस्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + स्था (धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; ‘उपस्थित’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्तान्त-विशेषण; ‘काले उपस्थिते’ = ‘when the time has arrived’ (locative absolute sense)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puraścaraṇa-Saptamī (vrata)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūtaja (son of Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages in an assembly address Sūta’s son, requesting the detailed procedure and the correct time for performing the Puraścaraṇa Saptamī.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta
• Puraścaraṇa-saptamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is to be practiced with clarity—right method and right time are integral to spiritual efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is a transition into the ritual exposition within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for the full vidhi (procedure) and kāla (timing) of the Puraścaraṇa Saptamī.