Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

प्रयागे माघ मासो यैरुषः स्नातोऽमलात्मभिः । मकरस्थे रवौ शुद्धास्त इमे सूर्यवर्चसः

Transliteration

prayāge māgha māso yairuṣaḥ snāto'malātmabhiḥ | makarasthe ravau śuddhāsta ime sūryavarcasaḥ

Translation

ನಿರ್ಮಲಾತ್ಮರು ಮಾಘಮಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಯಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಉಷಃಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ—ಸೂರ್ಯನು ಮಕರದಲ್ಲಿರುವಾಗ—ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿದರೆ, ಅವರು ಶುದ್ಧರಾಗಿ ಸೂರ್ಯವರ್ಚಸ್ಸಿನಿಂದ ಪ್ರಕಾಶಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ.

Word by Word

• प्रयागे: at Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• माघः: Māgha
• माघः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (मासः इति विशेषण)

• मासः: month
• मासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• उषः: at dawn / the dawn-time
• उषः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणार्थे—प्रातःकाले)

• स्नातः: bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Predicate participle/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• अमल-आत्मभिः: by the pure-souled (persons)
• अमल-आत्मभिः: Karana (Accompaniment/सहकारि-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमल (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (अमलः आत्मा येषाम्)

• मकरस्थे: when (the sun) is in Capricorn
• मकरस्थे: Adhikarana (Temporal condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मकर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (रवौ इति विशेषण); समासः—तत्पुरुष (मकरे स्थिते)

• रवौ: in the sun (i.e., when the sun is...)
• रवौ: Adhikarana (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• शुद्धाः: pure
• शुद्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• इमे: these
• इमे: Apposition (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• सूर्य-वर्चसः: having the radiance of the sun
• सूर्य-वर्चसः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (सूर्यस्य वर्चः यस्य ते)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (Triveṇī-saṅgama)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame; not explicit in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pre-dawn at the Triveṇī Saṅgama: pilgrims wade into confluence waters as the sun rises in Makara season; mist, saffron sky, and a luminous solar disc; ascetics chant while lamps flicker on boats.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Māgha
• Makara
• Ravi (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seasonal tīrtha-observances (Māgha dawn-bathing) purify the seeker and confer divine radiance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga (the great confluence-tīrtha) is explicitly glorified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Uṣaḥ-snān (dawn bathing) at Prayāga during Māgha, particularly when the Sun is in Makara.