Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

संक्रांतौ सूर्यवारेण यः कुर्यात्स्नापनक्रियाम् । अभीष्टं सिध्यते तस्य मेषे वा यदि वा तुले

Transliteration

saṃkrāṃtau sūryavāreṇa yaḥ kuryātsnāpanakriyām | abhīṣṭaṃ sidhyate tasya meṣe vā yadi vā tule

Translation

Au moment de Saṅkrānti, si l’on accomplit le rite du bain sacré (snāpana) un dimanche, le but chéri de cette personne s’accomplit—que l’entrée soit en Meṣa (Bélier) ou en Tulā (Balance).

Word by Word

• संक्रान्तौ: at the saṅkrānti (solar transit)
• संक्रान्तौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्रान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• सूर्यवारेण: on Sunday
• सूर्यवारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्यवार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (सूर्यस्य वारः) Instrumental singular (time-instrument)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, Nominative singular

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• स्नापनक्रियाम्: bathing/ablution rite
• स्नापनक्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नापन (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (स्नापनस्य क्रिया) Accusative singular

• अभीष्टम्: the desired (result)
• अभीष्टम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभीष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• सिध्यते: is accomplished
• सिध्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• मेषे: in Aries
• मेषे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• तुले: in Libra
• तुले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Tīrthamāhātmya; likely Sūta relating the Māhātmya to Ṛṣis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims bathe at a sacred water spot at dawn on Saṅkrānti; the sun is prominent, with priests guiding rites; symbolic Aries/Libra motifs appear subtly (ram scales).

Characters & Entities

• Saṅkrānti
• Meṣa
• Tulā
• Sūryavāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Observing sacred time (puṇyakāla) with proper ritual action intensifies spiritual merit and brings swift fruition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction appears within a tīrtha-focused Māhātmya (Adhyāya 155), implying a specific shrine/tīrtha where snāpana is performed, though the name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāpana/snānā ritual at Saṅkrānti, specifically when it falls on Sunday; special mention of Meṣa and Tulā Saṅkrānti.