Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

मध्याह्नेऽत्र प्रकुर्वंति सान्निध्यं देवतागणाः । तस्मात्तत्र प्रकुर्वंति मध्याह्ने स्नानमादरात्

Transliteration

madhyāhne'tra prakurvaṃti sānnidhyaṃ devatāgaṇāḥ | tasmāttatra prakurvaṃti madhyāhne snānamādarāt

Translation

Zur Mittagszeit offenbaren die Scharen der Götter hier in besonderer Weise ihre Gegenwart. Darum soll man an diesem Ort das Mittagsbad mit Eifer und Ehrfurcht vollziehen.

Word by Word

• मध्याह्ने: at midday
• मध्याह्ने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्याह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे अधिकरण (locative of time)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: they perform/do
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• सान्निध्यम्: presence, proximity
• सान्निध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सान्निध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• देवतागणाः: groups of deities
• देवतागणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृपद

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: हेतुवाचक अव्यय (indeclinable used as ablatival/consequential particle: 'therefore/from that reason')

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: they perform/do
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• मध्याह्ने: at midday
• मध्याह्ने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्याह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• आदरात्: out of reverence
• आदरात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (ablative of cause)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svargadvāra (contextual ‘here’)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Noon at the ghāṭ: blazing yet auspicious sun overhead; pilgrims bathing while subtle divine forms (devas) appear in the light; priests guide the rite; shimmering water suggests devatā-sānnidhya.

Characters & Entities

• Devatāgaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine presence intensifies at certain sacred times; reverent discipline (midday snāna) aligns the devotee with that grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā’s sacred zone described as a divine-access point (Svargadvāra) within the Ayodhyāmāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing a midday bath (madhyāhna-snānā) at the sacred spot, with devotion and care.