Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 122

Devanagari script

सन्ध्यामुपासीत बुधः संशांतः प्रयतः शुचिः । पूर्वां सन्ध्यां सनक्षत्रां पश्चिमां सदिवाकराम्

Transliteration

sandhyāmupāsīta budhaḥ saṃśāṃtaḥ prayataḥ śuciḥ | pūrvāṃ sandhyāṃ sanakṣatrāṃ paścimāṃ sadivākarām

Translation

Le sage—paisible, maîtrisé et pur—doit accomplir le culte de la sandhyā. La sandhyā du matin quand les étoiles sont encore visibles, et celle du soir quand le soleil est encore présent.

Word by Word

• sandhyām: the twilight worship (sandhyā)
• sandhyām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• upāsīta: should worship/attend upon
• upāsīta: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-ās (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• budhaḥ: the wise person
• budhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• saṃśāṃtaḥ: calmed, tranquil
• saṃśāṃtaḥ: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-śānta (प्रातिपदिक; √śam शम्)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘budhaḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• prayataḥ: self-restrained, disciplined
• prayataḥ: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prayata (प्रातिपदिक; √yat यत्)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त, पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘budhaḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• śuciḥ: pure, clean
• śuciḥ: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘budhaḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• pūrvām: the eastern/earlier
• pūrvām: Karman (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘sandhyām’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• sandhyām: sandhyā (twilight)
• sandhyām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• sa-nakṣatrām: with stars (visible)
• sa-nakṣatrām: Karman (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘सह’ अर्थे ‘sa-’ उपपदपूर्वकः (with stars)

• paścimām: the western/later
• paścimām: Karman (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘sandhyām’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• sa-divākarām: with the sun (present)
• sa-divākarām: Karman (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपपद) + divākara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘सह’ अर्थे ‘sa-’ (with the sun)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sandhyā-tīrtha (kāla-sandhi)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Wise/kingly addressee implied in the instructional sequence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-panel scene: (left) dawn with lingering stars; devotee facing east in añjali; (right) dusk with low sun; devotee facing west; both with a small water vessel and sacred thread visible.

Characters & Entities

• Sandhyā
• Nakṣatra
• Divākara (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular sandhyā observance, performed with inner calm and outer purity, is upheld as a pillar of dharmic life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse teaches daily ritual discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform morning sandhyā before the stars fade and evening sandhyā before the sun fully sets.