Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

नैरंतर्येण षण्मासान्विधिना यः प्रपूजयेत् । पुण्यं तदेव सफलं लभते विषुवार्चनात्

Transliteration

nairaṃtaryeṇa ṣaṇmāsānvidhinā yaḥ prapūjayet | puṇyaṃ tadeva saphalaṃ labhate viṣuvārcanāt

Translation

Whoever worships continuously for six months according to proper rite gains that same merit—made fully fruitful—through worship performed on the equinox.

Word by Word

• नैरन्तर्येण: with continuity, uninterruptedly
• नैरन्तर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरन्तर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• षण्मासान्: six months (as a period)
• षण्मासान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मास (प्रातिपदिक; षट् + मास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Accusative plural (duration)

• विधिना: according to rule/rite
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, Nominative singular

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship
• प्रपूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; should worship

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshya (Correlative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Demonstrative pronoun, Nominative singular

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• सफलम्: fruitful, effective
• सफलम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सफल (प्रातिपदिक; स + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with 'पुण्यम्'

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; obtains

• विषुवार्चनात्: from equinox-worship; by worship at the equinox
• विषुवार्चनात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषुव + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; विषुव + अर्चन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (cause/source)

Speaker

Śiva (as Somnātha), within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra praise context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somnātha (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two devotional timelines contrasted: a calendar-like band showing daily worship for six months, and a radiant equinox day where the sun is balanced, with a single intense pūjā at Somnātha yielding ‘saphala’ merit.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣuva (equinox)
• Śiva (Somnātha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time can intensify spiritual fruit: a properly observed auspicious day can equal prolonged practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, centered on Somnātha worship where time-based rites are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Unbroken six-month worship by rule, and alternatively viṣuva (equinox) arcana as an equivalent merit-yielding observance.