Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ततः स्वधर्मनिष्ठां च ये कुर्वंति सदा नराः । प्रातर्मध्याह्नसायाह्ने तेषां पापं विनश्यति

Transliteration

tataḥ svadharmaniṣṭhāṃ ca ye kurvaṃti sadā narāḥ | prātarmadhyāhnasāyāhne teṣāṃ pāpaṃ vinaśyati

Translation

Alors, ceux qui demeurent constamment établis dans leur propre dharma (svadharma), leur péché est détruit aux trois jonctions du jour : matin, midi et soir.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter, then
• ततः: Discourse (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अनन्तरम्-अर्थे (thereafter/therefore)

• स्व: one’s own
• स्व: Qualifier (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण (one’s own)

• धर्म: duty, dharma
• धर्म: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासमध्यपद

• निष्ठाम्: steadfastness, devotion
• निष्ठाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘कुर्वन्ति’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• च: and
• च: Discourse (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• कुर्वन्ति: do, perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘ये’ इत्यस्य अपोद्घात/विशेष्य

• प्रातर्: in the morning
• प्रातर्: Adhikarana (Time locus/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातर् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (morning)

• मध्याह्न: at midday
• मध्याह्न: Adhikarana (Time locus/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्याह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासमध्यपद-रूपेण

• सायाह्ने: in the evening
• सायाह्ने: Adhikarana (Time locus/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायाह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘प्रातर्मध्याह्नसायाह्ने’ इति समाहार-द्वन्द्वे अन्त्यपद-रूपेण

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘विनश्यति’ इत्यस्य कर्ता (नपुंसक-प्रथमा)

• विनश्यति: perishes, is destroyed
• विनश्यति: Kriya (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three time-of-day tableau: a devotee facing east at dawn, performing midday worship under the sun, and offering evening lamps at twilight near a Śiva shrine; sins depicted as fading shadows.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast daily dharma practice steadily purifies; regularity across the day’s junctions uproots sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra context remains in the background; this verse highlights daily discipline rather than a named pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance aligned with the three daily times (morning–midday–evening), suggestive of sandhyā-oriented discipline, though not explicitly named.