Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नंतरे प्राप्तो भगवान्दिननायकः । अस्ताचलं जपापुष्पसन्निभो द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

etasminnaṃtare prāpto bhagavāndinanāyakaḥ | astācalaṃ japāpuṣpasannibho dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

Meanwhile, O best of Brahmins, the blessed Lord of the day—the Sun—drew near the western mountain to set, glowing like a hibiscus (japā) flower.

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'in this'

• अन्तरे: in the interval; meanwhile
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'अवसरे/मध्ये'

• प्राप्तः: having come; arrived
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भगवान्: the revered one; the Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दिननायकः: the lord of the day (the Sun)
• दिननायकः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिननायक (प्रातिपदिक; दिन+नायक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सूर्यपर्याय

• अस्ताचलम्: the western mountain (setting mountain)
• अस्ताचलम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्ताचल (प्रातिपदिक; अस्त+अचल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गन्तव्य/देशवाचक

• जपापुष्पसन्निभः: resembling hibiscus blossoms
• जपापुष्पसन्निभः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जपा+पुष्प+सन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक; सन्निभ = सदृश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपमानवाचक (like hibiscus flowers)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज+सत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (vocative sense)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pitṛkūpikā (contextual)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (sages; implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sun, red like a hibiscus (japā), descends toward the western mountain; the landscape near the sacred well is bathed in crimson-gold twilight, suggesting the onset of sandhyā rites.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Dinanāyaka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic rhythms (sunset and sandhyā) sanctify action and place, preparing the ground for dharmic observance and revelation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene continues at Pitṛkūpikā, the ancestor-well tīrtha introduced just before.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly signals sandhyā-time (evening) appropriateness for prescribed observances, elaborated in the next verse.