Shloka 32

Matsya Purana — The Slaying of Tāraka: Skanda’s Śakti and the Victory of the Devas

Devanagari script

संध्यामुपास्य यः पूर्वां स्कन्दस्य चरितं पठेत् स मुक्तः किल्बिषैः सर्वैर् महाधनपतिर्भवेत् //

Transliteration

saṃdhyāmupāsya yaḥ pūrvāṃ skandasya caritaṃ paṭhet sa muktaḥ kilbiṣaiḥ sarvair mahādhanapatirbhavet //

Translation

Whoever, having first performed Sandhyā worship, recites the account of Skanda’s deeds becomes freed from all sins and attains the status of a great lord of wealth.

Word by Word

• saṃdhyām: the Sandhyā (twilight) rite

• upāsya: having worshipped/observed

• yaḥ: whoever

• pūrvām: first/beforehand

• skandasya: of Skanda (Kārttikeya)

• caritam: deeds, sacred narrative

• paṭhet: should read/recite

• saḥ: he

• muktaḥ: freed, released

• kilbiṣaiḥ: from sins/impurities

• sarvaiḥ: all

• mahā-dhana-patiḥ: a great master of wealth (very wealthy lord)

• bhavet: becomes

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) conveying the phala-śruti of the Skanda-carita section (traditional attribution within Matsya Purana narration)

Entities Mentioned

• Sandhyā (Sandhyopāsanā)
• Skanda (Kārttikeya)

Tags

• Phala-śruti
• Sandhyā
• Skanda
• Punya
• Paṭhana

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

Nothing directly about pralaya is stated here; the verse is a phala-śruti teaching that ritual purity (Sandhyā worship) and recitation of Skanda’s narrative remove sin and yield prosperity.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

It emphasizes a householder’s daily discipline: perform Sandhyā (a core nitya-karma) and then engage in sacred recitation; the promised fruit—freedom from faults and attainment of wealth—aligns with dharmic prosperity (artha) gained through right conduct.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual point is explicit: Sandhyopāsanā should precede Purāṇic recitation, indicating that scriptural study is ideally done after prescribed daily rites and with a purified, attentive mind.