Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तत्र गत्वा कुरु स्नानं सप्तम्यां रविवासरे । माघमासे तु संप्राप्ते शुक्लपक्षे विशेषतः

Transliteration

tatra gatvā kuru snānaṃ saptamyāṃ ravivāsare | māghamāse tu saṃprāpte śuklapakṣe viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Geh dorthin und vollziehe das heilige Bad am Saptamī, wenn er auf einen Sonntag fällt—besonders wenn der Monat Māgha gekommen ist, und vor allem in der hellen Monatshälfte.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘having gone’

• कुरु: do/perform
• कुरु: Kriya (आज्ञार्थक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd), एकवचनम्; ‘do’

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; object of कुरु

• सप्तम्याम्: on the seventh lunar day
• सप्तम्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; locative ‘on the seventh (tithi)’

• रवि-वासरे: on Sunday
• रवि-वासरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक) + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (रवेः वासरः); पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; locative ‘on Sunday’

• माघ-मासे: in the month of Māgha
• माघ-मासे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; locative ‘in the month of Māgha’

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• संप्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/सप्तमी-absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; सप्तमी-absolute ‘when (it) has arrived’ (i.e., when Māgha has come)

• शुक्ल-पक्षे: in the bright fortnight
• शुक्ल-पक्षे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; locative ‘in the bright fortnight’

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Tapasvī (resident ascetic guide, as quoted by Kārpaṭika)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvāmitra-jalāvaha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Afflicted pilgrim-narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim is shown preparing for a ritual bath at dawn; a calendar-like motif indicates Māgha, śukla pakṣa, Saptamī, and the Sun’s day; the tīrtha waters shimmer with sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra-jalāvaha Tīrtha
• Māgha māsa
• Śukla pakṣa
• Ravivāra
• Saptamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced through right time and right place—observance gains potency when aligned with sacred calendars and tīrtha-vidhi.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The instruction refers to the previously named Viśvāmitra-jalāvaha tīrtha near Jalaśāyin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna at that tīrtha on Saptamī falling on Sunday, with special emphasis on Māgha month, bright fortnight.