Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 129

Devanagari script

यस्यां तिथौ रथं पूर्वं प्राप देवो दिवाकरः । सा तिथिः कथिता विप्रैर्माघे या रथसप्तमी

Transliteration

yasyāṃ tithau rathaṃ pūrvaṃ prāpa devo divākaraḥ | sā tithiḥ kathitā viprairmāghe yā rathasaptamī

Translation

That lunar day on which, in ancient times, the god Divākara (the Sun) obtained his chariot—Brahmins declare that very day in the month of Māgha to be Ratha-saptamī.

Word by Word

• yasyām: in which
• yasyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम—‘in which’

• tithau: on the lunar day
• tithau: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ratham: the chariot
• ratham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• pūrvam: formerly / earlier
• pūrvam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• prāpa: obtained / reached
• prāpa: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु) उपसर्ग-प्र + लिट्/लुङ्-रूप (here: लिट्, परस्मैपद)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• divākaraḥ: the Sun (day-maker)
• divākaraḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divākara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• sā: that
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tithiḥ: lunar day
• tithiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kathitā: is called / has been declared
• kathitā: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग—‘is said/called’

• vipraiḥ: by the Brahmins/sages
• vipraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• māghe: in (the month of) Māgha
• māghe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; ‘in Māgha’

• yā: which
• yā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम—‘which’

• ratha-saptamī: Ratha-saptamī (the chariot seventh)
• ratha-saptamī: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक) + saptamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तिथि-नाम

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ratha-saptamī (Māgha-śukla-saptamī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Sun-god Divākara receiving a radiant chariot; seven horses poised; sages point to the calendar day; devotees below prepare arghya at dawn in Māgha’s crisp light.

Characters & Entities

• Divākara (Sūrya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred observances are anchored in divine narratives; honoring such tithis aligns human practice with cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse explains the sanctity of Māgha Ratha-saptamī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It identifies Māgha-śukla saptamī as Ratha-saptamī, a key date for Sūrya-related worship and merit-making acts.