Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

यज्ञोपवीतमष्टम्या तच्चाध्यात्मतया शृणु । सूर्यकोटिसमस्पर्शं तेजसा भास्वरं तथा

Transliteration

yajñopavītamaṣṭamyā taccādhyātmatayā śṛṇu | sūryakoṭisamasparśaṃ tejasā bhāsvaraṃ tathā

Translation

Am achten Tag soll man die heilige Schnur darbringen; und höre ihre innere Bedeutung. Sie ist wie die Berührung von zehn Millionen Sonnen, strahlend vor geistiger Pracht.

Word by Word

• यज्ञोपवीतम्: sacred thread
• यज्ञोपवीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + उपवीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (यज्ञस्य उपवीतम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अष्टम्या: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्या: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; ‘अष्टम्या’ = ‘अष्टम्यां (तिथौ)’ इत्यर्थे (on the eighth lunar day)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• अध्यात्मतया: with spiritual understanding
• अध्यात्मतया: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्यात्मता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; भाववाचक (in the manner of/with the sense of spirituality)

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सूर्यकोटिसमस्पर्शम्: having a touch like ten million suns
• सूर्यकोटिसमस्पर्शम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (सूर्यकोट्या समः स्पर्शः यस्य/सूर्यकोटिसमस्पर्श), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तेजसा: by radiance
• तेजसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• भास्वरम्: shining, brilliant
• भास्वरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भास्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb; ‘likewise/also’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from instructional tone within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous sacred thread held reverently, emitting sun-like radiance; a teacher explains its adhyātma meaning to a devotee on Aṣṭamī near a tīrtha, with a subtle solar aura filling the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Yajñopavīta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual objects like the yajñopavīta have an inner spiritual meaning and are to be honored as embodiments of luminous sacred power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse focuses on vrata/dāna symbolism rather than naming a specific pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On aṣṭamī, offer (or ritually observe) the yajñopavīta and contemplate/hear its adhyātmic significance.