Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ये संध्यां नाप्युपासंते कृतघ्ना यांति रौरवम् । प्रतिमासं पृथक्सूर्य ऋषिगन्धर्वराक्षसैः

Transliteration

ye saṃdhyāṃ nāpyupāsaṃte kṛtaghnā yāṃti rauravam | pratimāsaṃ pṛthaksūrya ṛṣigandharvarākṣasaiḥ

Translation

Those who do not worship even the twilight rites—being ungrateful—go to the Raurava hell. And the Sun, distinct in each month, is attended in his course by sages, gandharvas, and rākṣasas.

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• saṃdhyām: the sandhyā (twilight rite)
• saṃdhyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि = even/also; here with na = 'not even')

• upāsante: they worship/perform
• upāsante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upās (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• kṛtaghnāḥ: ungrateful
• kṛtaghnāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛtaghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ये इति सर्वनामस्य)

• yānti: they go
• yānti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• rauravam: Raurava (hell)
• rauravam: Gati/Karma (Destination as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raurava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नरकविशेषः

• pratimāsam: every month
• pratimāsam: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'each month'

• pṛthak: separately
• pṛthak: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• sūrya: O Sun
• sūrya: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; संबोधनरूपेण

• ṛṣi-gandharva-rākṣasaiḥ: with sages, gandharvas, and rākṣasas
• ṛṣi-gandharva-rākṣasaiḥ: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi + gandharva + rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Raurava

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Split scene: on one side, a negligent householder turning away from twilight worship; on the other, the terrifying Raurava realm with thorny ground and suffering; above, Sūrya’s radiant path with monthly attendants—ṛṣis, gandharvas, and rākṣasas—moving in ordered procession.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃdhyā
• Raurava (Naraka)
• Sūrya
• Ṛṣis
• Gandharvas
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gratitude expressed through daily worship sustains dharma; neglect of sacred duty is framed as moral failure with karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is praised; the passage emphasizes daily rite and the Sun’s monthly order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular performance of sandhyā worship (saṃdhyopāsanā/saṃdhyā-vandana) is enjoined by implication.