Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

द्वादश्यां माघमासस्य गंधपुष्पानुलेपनैः । सोऽप्यवाप्स्यति यच्चित्ते वर्तते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

dvādaśyāṃ māghamāsasya gaṃdhapuṣpānulepanaiḥ | so'pyavāpsyati yaccitte vartate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Am zwölften Mondtag (Dvādaśī) des Monats Māgha, mit Düften, Blumen und Salbungen, wird auch jener Verehrer erlangen, was in seinem Herzen ruht—daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• dvādaśyām: on the twelfth lunar day
• dvādaśyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-सप्तमी (locative of time)

• māgha-māsasya: of the month of Māgha
• māgha-māsasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māgha (प्रातिपदिक) + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative)

• gandha-puṣpa-anulepanaiḥ: with perfumes, flowers, and unguents
• gandha-puṣpa-anulepanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + anulepana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• api: also, even
• api: Discourse particle (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव

• avāpsyati: will obtain
• avāpsyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु) उपसर्ग: ava-
• Form: लृट् (Future/भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• yat: whatever (that which)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• citte: in (one's) mind
• citte: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• vartate: exists, remains
• vartate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Negation (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• atra: here, in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (continuing instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vāsudeva (Keśava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee on Māgha Dvādaśī offers fragrant sandal paste, flowers, and perfumed unguents before a Viṣṇu icon; the atmosphere is crisp, winter-bright, with lamps and orderly upacāras.

Characters & Entities

• Māgha
• Dvādaśī
• Subhadrā (contextual)
• Viṣṇu (contextual)
• Balarāma (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (Māgha Dvādaśī) joined with devoted worship is taught as highly fruitful and wish-fulfilling.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the promise is framed within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform worship on Māgha Dvādaśī using fragrances, flowers, and anointing substances.