Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

मार्कंडेय उवाच । माघमासे सिते पक्षे मकरस्थे दिवाकरे । सूर्यवारेण सप्तम्यां व्रतमेतत्समाचरेत्

Transliteration

mārkaṃḍeya uvāca | māghamāse site pakṣe makarasthe divākare | sūryavāreṇa saptamyāṃ vratametatsamācaret

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “In the month of Māgha, in the bright fortnight, when the Sun is in Capricorn, one should observe this vow on the Saptamī that falls on a Sunday.”

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• माघमासे: in the month of Māgha
• माघमासे: अधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सिते: bright (white)
• सिते: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); पक्षे इति विशेष्ये

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: अधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• मकरस्थे: when (the sun) is in Capricorn
• मकरस्थे: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मकर + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); दिवाकरे इति विशेष्ये

• दिवाकरे: when the sun (day-maker)
• दिवाकरे: अधिकरण (Time/Condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सूर्यवारेण: on Sunday
• सूर्यवारेण: करण/अधिकरण (Time marker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य + वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सप्तम्याम्: on the seventh (tithi)
• सप्तम्याम्: अधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्रतम्: vow; observance
• व्रतम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण (pronominal adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); व्रतम् इति विशेष्ये

• समाचरेत्: should perform; should observe
• समाचरेत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puraścaraṇa Saptamī (Sūrya-linked)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rohitāśva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya points to the sky or a pañcāṅga, indicating Māgha śukla, Makara-stha Sun, and Sunday Saptamī as the correct time for the vow.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Sūrya
• Māgha
• Makara (Capricorn)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time magnifies merit; aligning vrata with Māgha, śukla pakṣa, and Sūrya’s auspicious transit strengthens purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse glorifies auspicious calendrical alignment rather than naming a particular pilgrimage place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe the vow on Saptamī that coincides with Sunday in Māgha śukla pakṣa, with the Sun in Makara.