Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

उपवासपरो भूत्वा रक्तचन्दनसंयुतैः । पूजयन्रक्तपुष्पैश्च श्रद्धया परया युतः

Transliteration

upavāsaparo bhūtvā raktacandanasaṃyutaiḥ | pūjayanraktapuṣpaiśca śraddhayā parayā yutaḥ

Translation

Observant le jeûne, et usant de pâte de santal rouge, il l’honora aussi de fleurs rouges, ferme dans une foi suprême.

Word by Word

• उपवासपरः: devoted to fasting
• उपवासपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (उपवासे परः = उपवासपरः)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having become’

• रक्तचन्दनसंयुतैः: with red sandal (paste)
• रक्तचन्दनसंयुतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √युज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (रक्तं चन्दनं = रक्तचन्दनम्; तेन संयुतः)

• पूजयन्: worshipping
• पूजयन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रक्तपुष्पैः: with red flowers
• रक्तपुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (रक्तानि पुष्पाणि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• परया: supreme, intense
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; श्रद्धा-विशेषणम्

• युतः: endowed (with)
• युतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √युज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘युक्त/समन्वित’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara-traya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vow-observing devotee/king, fasting, offers red sandal paste and red flowers in reverent worship at a sacred Puṣkara tīrtha, with a solar aura implied by the red offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadbala
• Sūrya (worshipped)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint (fasting) and reverent offerings, performed with unwavering faith, are presented as potent supports for spiritual and bodily purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa sacred kṣetra in this chapter, where Sūrya worship is linked to healing and attainment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) and pūjā with rakta-candana and red flowers as offerings to Sūrya.