Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 177

Devanagari script

सप्तम्यां च सिते पक्षे सोपवासो जितेन्द्रियः । सात्त्विकीं वासनां कृत्वा यो वसेच्छिवमन्दिरे

Transliteration

saptamyāṃ ca site pakṣe sopavāso jitendriyaḥ | sāttvikīṃ vāsanāṃ kṛtvā yo vasecchivamandire

Translation

Au septième jour lunaire de la quinzaine claire, jeûnant et maître de ses sens, ayant établi une intention sāttvique, quiconque demeure dans un temple de Śiva…

Word by Word

• सप्तम्याम्: on the seventh (lunar day)
• सप्तम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saptamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तिथिनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• सिते: in the bright (white)
• सिते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying pakṣe)

• पक्षे: fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सोपवासः: observing a fast
• सोपवासः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय-सह) + upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; 'स-' उपसर्गार्थ (with fasting)

• जितेन्द्रियः: one who has conquered his senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jita (कृदन्त; √ji धातु) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—जितानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य सः

• सात्त्विकीम्: pure, sāttvika
• सात्त्विकीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāttvikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying vāsanām)

• वासनाम्: intention, disposition
• वासनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made, having adopted
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया (having done)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• वसेत्: should dwell, may reside
• वसेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• शिवमन्दिरे: in Śiva's temple
• शिवमन्दिरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + mandira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śivasya mandire)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-mandira-vāsa (as vrata-aṅga within Revā-khaṇḍa)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpasattama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in simple white cloth sits within a Śiva temple corridor on śukla-saptamī, fasting, senses restrained, lamp-lit sanctum ahead; the mind is shown as calm through symmetrical composition and stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-mandira
• Śukla Saptamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of mind (sāttvika bhāva) combined with restraint and sacred presence (temple-stay) is central to effective vrata practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Śiva temple within the Revā Khaṇḍa sacred region is implied; no single named tirtha appears in the verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fasting on Śukla Saptamī, sense-control, adopting sāttvic intention, and residing in a Śiva temple.