Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

सप्तम्यामुपवासं तु कृत्वा सांबार्कसंनिधौ । रक्तचन्दनमिश्रैस्तु करवीरैर्महाव्रतः

Transliteration

saptamyāmupavāsaṃ tu kṛtvā sāṃbārkasaṃnidhau | raktacandanamiśraistu karavīrairmahāvrataḥ

Translation

Then, on the seventh day, having observed a fast in the presence of Sāṃbārka (Sūrya worshipped by Sāmba), the votary of the great vow should worship with oleander blossoms mixed with red sandal paste.

Word by Word

• saptamyām: on the seventh (tithi)
• saptamyām: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saptamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• upavāsam: fasting
• upavāsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Kriyā (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वान्त gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• sāṃbārka-saṃnidhau: in the presence of Sāṃbārka (Sāmba-Sun)
• sāṃbārka-saṃnidhau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāṃbārka (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃnidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सांबार्कस्य संनिधिः)

• raktacandana-miśraiḥ: with (flowers) mixed with red sandal
• raktacandana-miśraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + candana (प्रातिपदिक) + miśra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (रक्तचन्दनेन मिश्राः)

• tu: and/indeed
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• karavīraiḥ: with oleander flowers
• karavīraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karavīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• mahā-vrataḥ: the great-vowed person (observer)
• mahā-vrataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् व्रतम्/महाव्रतः—महाव्रतधारी)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāṃbārka (Sūrya) at Prabhāsa

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yādavottama (Sāṃba addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn on saptamī, a fasting votary stands before Sāṃbārka (Sūrya icon), offering oleander blossoms smeared with red sandal; the rising sun over the Prabhāsa sea casts crimson-gold light; lamps and bells in the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Sāṃbārka
• Sāṃba
• Karavīra (oleander)
• Red sandal (raktacandana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity (upavāsa) joined with reverent offering transforms bodily discipline into devotional merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, specifically the vicinity of Sāṃbārka/Sāṃbāditya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On saptamī: fast near Sāṃbārka and offer karavīra flowers anointed/mixed with red sandal paste.