Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वृषस्थे भास्करे पश्चात्तस्या उपरि स्रावि यत् । जलयन्त्रं दिवारात्रं धारयस्व प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

vṛṣasthe bhāskare paścāttasyā upari srāvi yat | jalayantraṃ divārātraṃ dhārayasva prayatnataḥ

Translation

ຕໍ່ມາ ເມື່ອພະອາທິດເຂົ້າຮາສີວົວ (Taurus) ຈົ່ງຮັກສາເຄື່ອງຢອດນ້ຳໄວ້ເທິງນາງ ທັງກາງວັນກາງຄືນ ດ້ວຍຄວາມພາກພຽນ।

Word by Word

• वृषस्थे: when (the Sun) is in Taurus
• वृषस्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक; √sthā धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (vṛṣe sthite = when Taurus is stationed/when Sun is in Vṛṣa)

• भास्करे: when the Sun (Bhāskara)
• भास्करे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Sambandha (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (adverb of sequence)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• उपरि: upon/above
• उपरि: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश/अधिकरणवाचक (preposition/adverb: 'upon')

• स्रावि: (that which is) to be made to flow/drip
• स्रावि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sru (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त/भाववाचक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'स्रावि' = स्राव्यं/स्रावणीयम् (that which is to be made to flow)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Karma/Link (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• जलयन्त्रम्: water-device (dripper apparatus)
• जलयन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + yantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (jalasya yantram)

• दिवारात्रम्: day and night (continuously)
• दिवारात्रम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: divā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable adverb)

• धारयस्व: hold/maintain
• धारयस्व: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort/carefully
• प्रयत्नतः: Sambandha (Manner adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषण (ablatival adverb: 'with effort')

Speaker

The sage (muni) prescribing the remedy

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A simple shrine with the Goddess’ icon below; above it a suspended water vessel/yantra dripping continuously; the sun sign Taurus indicated by a bull emblem or zodiac wheel; attendants ensure day-night flow.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara (Sun)
• Vṛṣa (Taurus)
• jalayantra (water device)
• Devī (implied: tasyāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic practice harmonizes time (solar transit) and ritual action; steady devotion expressed as continuous service brings relief and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the ritual is framed as tīrtha-linked instruction though this line does not name the place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain a jalayantra for continuous water-dripping (a form of abhiṣeka) above the deity/image, day and night, timed to the Sun’s entry into Taurus.