Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

उपास्य संध्यां विधिवत्प्रत्यागच्छत्तमोवृते । मार्गे दष्टो भुजंगेन ममार निजकर्मणा

Transliteration

upāsya saṃdhyāṃ vidhivatpratyāgacchattamovṛte | mārge daṣṭo bhujaṃgena mamāra nijakarmaṇā

Translation

ವಿಧಿವತ್ತಾಗಿ ಸಂಧ್ಯೋಪಾಸನೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಕತ್ತಲೆ ಆವರಿಸಿದಾಗ ಹಿಂದಿರುಗುವ ಮಾರ್ಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನಿಗೆ ಭುಜಂಗ ದಂಶವಾಯಿತು; ಸ್ವಕರ್ಮಫಲದಿಂದ ಅವನು ಮೃತನಾದನು।

Word by Word

• उपास्य: having worshipped
• उपास्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + √आस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive)

• संध्याम्: the sandhyā (twilight prayer)
• संध्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विधिवत्: properly, according to rite
• विधिवत्: Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘according to rule’)

• प्रत्यागच्छत्: returned
• प्रत्यागच्छत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + आ + √गम् (गमॢँ गतौ) (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तमोवृते: when (the way) was covered in darkness
• तमोवृते: Adhikarana (Location/Condition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस् + वृत (कृदन्त; √वृ (वृञ् वरणे) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/सप्तमी-एकवचन (अधिकरण); ‘तमो-वृत’ = तमसा आवृत (covered by darkness)

• मार्गे: on the path
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दष्टः: bitten
• दष्टः: Karta (Experiencer as subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दंश् (दंशँ दंशने) (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भुजंगेन: by a serpent
• भुजंगेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुजंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• ममार: died
• ममार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मृ (मृङ् प्राणत्यागे) (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• निजकर्मणा: due to his own karma
• निजकर्मणा: Hetu/Reason (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘निज-कर्म’ = one’s own deed/karma

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Characters & Entities

• Serpent (bhujaṅga)
• Karma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the dutiful can meet sudden death; Purāṇas interpret such events through karma, urging deeper spiritual refuge beyond mere routine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on the karmic event within the story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The sandhyā worship is said to be performed ‘vidhivat’ (according to proper procedure), though details are not enumerated.