Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

अध्यर्द्धाष्टमिकायोगे तावके संस्थिते नरः । तववारे तु संप्राप्ते यस्तिलांल्लोहसंयुतान्

Transliteration

adhyarddhāṣṭamikāyoge tāvake saṃsthite naraḥ | tavavāre tu saṃprāpte yastilāṃllohasaṃyutān

Translation

«Lorsque, durant ta période d’observance, survient la conjonction sacrée de l’Adhyarddhāṣṭamikā, et lorsque arrive ton propre jour de la semaine, celui qui offre des graines de sésame mêlées de fer…»

Word by Word

• अध्यर्द्धाष्टमिकायोगे: in the conjunction of the adhyarddhāṣṭamikā (time)
• अध्यर्द्धाष्टमिकायोगे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्यर्द्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टमिका (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: (अध्यर्द्ध-अष्टमिका)-योग इति षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-तत्पुरुष-समाससम्भव; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तावके: in your (domain/period)
• तावके: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• संस्थिते: when situated/when occurring
• संस्थिते: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु √स्था) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तववारे: on your day
• तववारे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तव (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तव-वार = 'your day/weekday'); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• संप्राप्ते: when arrived/when it has come
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु √आप्) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (time-condition)

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

• तिलान्: sesame seeds
• तिलान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• लोहसंयुतान्: mixed/combined with iron
• लोहसंयुतान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोह (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (सम्-युज् √युज् + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (लोह-सम्युत = 'joined with iron'); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तिलान्)

Speaker

Narrator (ritual-framing statement; continuation implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/sages (addressed as ‘भो द्विजाः’ in the frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at a shrine courtyard offers a small bowl of black sesame with an iron piece to a priest or into a ritual vessel, under a sky marked by calendrical auspiciousness; the deity’s presence is invoked.

Characters & Entities

• Adhyarddhāṣṭamikā (observance/time-conjunction)
• Tila (sesame)
• Loha (iron)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes right timing and right intention in charitable and expiatory acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya section of Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A time-specific observance involving dāna/offerings of sesame mixed with iron, aligned with a particular yoga and weekday.