Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । माघमासतृतीयायां शनैश्चरदिने शुभे । नक्षत्रे वसुदैवत्ये रूपं ध्यात्वाथ यौवनम्

Transliteration

devyuvāca | māghamāsatṛtīyāyāṃ śanaiścaradine śubhe | nakṣatre vasudaivatye rūpaṃ dhyātvātha yauvanam

Translation

La Déesse dit : «Au troisième jour lunaire du mois de Māgha, un samedi de bon augure, sous un nakṣatra présidé par les Vasus, médite sur la beauté et la jeunesse».

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• माघमास-तृतीयायाम्: on the third (lunar day) of Māgha month
• माघमास-तृतीयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघमास (प्रातिपदिक) + तृतीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (माघमासस्य तृतीया)

• शनैश्चर-दिने: on Saturday (Saturn's day)
• शनैश्चर-दिने: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शनैश्चर (प्रातिपदिक) + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शनैश्चरस्य दिनम्)

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; दिने इति विशेषणम्

• नक्षत्रे: in the lunar mansion
• नक्षत्रे: Adhikarana (Time/Condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्

• वसुदैवत्ये: whose deity is the Vasus
• वसुदैवत्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक) + दैवत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वसूनां दैवत्यं यस्य) नक्षत्रे इति विशेषणम्

• रूपम्: beauty; form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated on
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभावः; ‘having meditated’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/क्रमसूचक)

• यौवनम्: youth
• यौवनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Devī (Girijā/Gaurī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess speaks, prescribing the exact auspicious time: Māgha tṛtīyā, Saturday, under a Vasu-ruled nakṣatra, and instructs meditation on beauty and youth.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Māgha (month)
• Śanaiścara (Saturn)
• Vasus (nakṣatra deities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma works through right intention and right timing—observing sacred calendrical moments enhances tīrtha practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction pertains to the local sacred tīrtha of this Māhātmya; the water-body is referenced explicitly in the next verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A calendrical prescription: Māgha month, tṛtīyā tithi, Saturday, and a Vasu-presided nakṣatra, along with meditation on beauty and youth.