Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

शुक्रांगारकसौरीणां वारेषु लवणांभसि । संतानकामी न स्नाया त्सेतोरन्यत्र कर्हिचित्

Transliteration

śukrāṃgārakasaurīṇāṃ vāreṣu lavaṇāṃbhasi | saṃtānakāmī na snāyā tsetoranyatra karhicit

Translation

Celui qui désire une descendance ne doit pas se baigner dans l’océan salé les jours de Śukra (vendredi), d’Aṅgāraka (mardi) et de Śani (samedi), nulle part ailleurs qu’à Setu, en aucun temps.

Word by Word

• śukra: Venus (planet)
• śukra: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular) — समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• aṃgāraka: Mars (planet)
• aṃgāraka: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃgāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग (Masculine, Nom. sg., compound member)

• saurīṇām: of (the day) of Saturn / Saturdays
• saurīṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saurī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Feminine, Genitive plural)

• vāreṣu: on the weekdays/days
• vāreṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-बहुवचन (Masculine, Locative plural)

• lavaṇa: salty
• lavaṇa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lavaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग (Neuter, Loc. sg., compound member)

• ambhasi: in water
• ambhasi: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन (Neuter, Locative singular)

• saṃtāna: offspring
• saṃtāna: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃtāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग (Masculine, Acc. sg., compound member)

• kāmī: desiring
• kāmī: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• snāyāt: should bathe
• snāyāt: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person singular)

• setoḥ: of Setu (the sacred place/bridge)
• setoḥ: Apādāna/Viṣaya (Reference: from/with respect to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: setu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive singular)

• anyatra: elsewhere
• anyatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: ‘elsewhere’)

• karhicit: ever / at any time
• karhicit: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: karhicit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: ‘ever/at any time’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Setukhaṇḍa instructional style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setutīrtha (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim couple desiring progeny stands at Setu’s shore; the sacred causeway and a distant liṅga/temple silhouette suggest Setu’s unique sanctity, while the vast salt ocean glitters under a planetary-themed sky.

Characters & Entities

• Śukra
• Aṅgāraka
• Saurī (Śani)
• Setu
• Samudra (salt ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage-dharma is place-specific: at Setu the rite is sanctified, while elsewhere one must observe stricter restraints.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu Tīrtha (Setubandha/Rāmeśvaram region) is upheld as uniquely fit for such bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition for those seeking progeny: avoid sea-bathing on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday except at Setu.