Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कच्चित्प्रातः समुत्थाय करोषि गृहमार्जनम् । स्वयमेव वरारोहे मण्डनं चोपमण्डनम्

Transliteration

kaccitprātaḥ samutthāya karoṣi gṛhamārjanam | svayameva varārohe maṇḍanaṃ copamaṇḍanam

Translation

汝は朝まだきに起きて家を清め掃除するか。おお高貴なる婦人よ、みずから相応の飾りを整え、衣と姿を端正に調えるか。

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: whether (I ask)
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in the morning)

• समुत्थाय: having risen
• समुत्थाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + उत् + स्था (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), 'having risen'

• करोषि: you do/perform
• करोषि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• गृह: house
• गृह: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• मार्जनम्: cleaning/sweeping
• मार्जनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गृहस्य मार्जनम्)

• स्वयम्: oneself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (reflexive adverb: oneself)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis)

• वर: excellent
• वर: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• आरोहे: O lovely-figured one
• आरोहे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (वरः आरोहः यस्याः सा = having a fine figure/hips)

• मण्डनम्: adornment
• मण्डनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

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

• उपमण्डनम्: additional adornment/finishing touches
• उपमण्डनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप (उपसर्ग) + मण्डन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (उप-विशिष्टं मण्डनम् = secondary/auxiliary adornment)

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, the noble woman cleans the house and then attends to her own neat adornment and orderly arrangement of dress, preparing the household for the day’s worship and duties.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer cleanliness and orderly living are treated as supports for inner dharma and auspiciousness in the home.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it contributes to the moral framework surrounding tīrtha-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Morning śauca (cleaning) and propriety in appearance are prescribed as daily observances.