Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

पठिता सप्तमी या च पुरश्चरणसंज्ञिता । पुरश्चरणतः पापं विहितं तु यथा व्रजेत्

Transliteration

paṭhitā saptamī yā ca puraścaraṇasaṃjñitā | puraścaraṇataḥ pāpaṃ vihitaṃ tu yathā vrajet

Translation

‘ಪುರಶ್ಚರಣ’ ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯಲ್ಪಡುವ ಆ ಸಪ್ತಮಿಯನ್ನು ಜಪಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ಪಠಿಸಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ; ಆ ಪುರಶ್ಚರಣದಿಂದ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವಿಧಿಯಂತೆ ಹೇಳಿದಂತೆ ಪಾಪವು ದೂರವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ।

Word by Word

• पठिता: recited/read
• पठिता: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सप्तमी: the seventh (chapter/day)/Saptamī
• सप्तमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-यत्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक)

• पुरश्चरणसंज्ञिता: called ‘puraścaraṇa’
• पुरश्चरणसंज्ञिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरश्चरण (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा with सम्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (पुरश्चरण-नाम्नी/पुरश्चरणेन संज्ञिता)

• पुरश्चरणतः: from/by (the act of) puraścaraṇa
• पुरश्चरणतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरश्चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverbial)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• विहितम्: prescribed/ordained
• विहितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Contrast/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात)

• यथा: as/how
• यथा: Prakaraṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकार/उपमान/यथार्थक)

• व्रजेत्: should go/proceed
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (potential/optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Caṇḍaśarman (continuing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-to-dawn Saptamī observance: a practitioner seated on kuśa grass, reciting from palm leaves, with a small altar, lamp, and offerings; a symbolic dark cloud (pāpa) disperses as light rises.

Characters & Entities

• Saptamī
• Puraścaraṇa
• Pāpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma teaches that specific vrata-days, when performed as prescribed, function as powerful instruments of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights a vrata (Puraścaraṇa Saptamī) rather than naming a site; it operates within the tīrtha-oriented frame of the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance/recitation of the ‘Puraścaraṇa’ Saptamī is presented as a means by which sin departs according to prescription.