Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

चतुर्थ्यङ्गारकदिने संकल्प्य कृतनिश्चयः । स्नायादस्तं गते सूर्ये सन्ध्योपासनतत्परः

Transliteration

caturthyaṅgārakadine saṃkalpya kṛtaniścayaḥ | snāyādastaṃ gate sūrye sandhyopāsanatatparaḥ

Translation

ചതുര്ഥീ തിഥി അംഗാരകവാരം (ചൊവ്വ) കൂടിയാൽ, ദൃഢനിശ്ചയത്തോടെ സങ്കൽപ്പം ചെയ്യണം; സൂര്യാസ്തത്തിനു ശേഷം സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് സന്ധ്യോപാസനയിൽ പരായണനാകണം.

Word by Word

• चतुर्थ्यङ्गारकदिने: on the day of Aṅgāraka (Tuesday) that is the fourth (tithi)
• चतुर्थ्यङ्गारकदिने: Adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्थी-अङ्गारक-दिन (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर्थी + अङ्गारक + दिन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• संकल्प्य: having resolved; having made a vow/intention
• संकल्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + कल्प् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable)

• कृतनिश्चयः: one who has firm determination
• कृतनिश्चयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक; कृत (कृ-धातोः क्त) + निश्चय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (of implied साधकः/भक्तः)

• स्नायात्: should bathe
• स्नायात्: Kriya (विधि-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अस्तम्: to setting; at sunset
• अस्तम्: Gati/Upapada (गति-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, दिशि/गतौ (adverbial: ‘to setting’)

• गते: when (it has) gone
• गते: Adhikaraṇa (सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); सति-सप्तमी with सूर्ये

• सूर्ये: when the sun (is)
• सूर्ये: Adhikaraṇa (सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); सति-सप्तमी

• सन्ध्योपासनतत्परः: devoted to twilight worship
• सन्ध्योपासनतत्परः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सन्ध्या-उपासन-तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक; सन्ध्या + उपासन + तत्पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (of implied साधकः)

Speaker

Deductive: Narrative instruction within Revā Khaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṅgāraka-Śiva Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (the King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dusk on the Narmadā: the sun has set; a devotee completes river-bath, then stands facing west/east for sandhyā, with a small lamp and water-pot; the shrine silhouette nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Aṅgāraka
• Sūrya
• Sandhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True vrata begins with saṅkalpa (intent) and is sustained by disciplined daily worship, especially Sandhyā observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred geography), framing the rite within Revā’s holy milieu even when the verse itself is procedural.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Make a vow on Tuesday-caturthī, bathe after sunset, and perform Sandhyā worship with focus.