Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अङ्गारकदिने प्राप्ते चतुर्थ्यां नवमीषु च । स्नानं करोति पुरुषो भक्त्योपोष्य वराङ्गना

Transliteration

aṅgārakadine prāpte caturthyāṃ navamīṣu ca | snānaṃ karoti puruṣo bhaktyopoṣya varāṅganā

Translation

ഓ വരാംഗനേ! അങ്കാരക (ചൊവ്വ) ദിനത്തിലും, ചതുര്ഥി-നവമി തിഥികളിലും, ഭക്തിയോടെ ഉപവസിച്ച് അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്ന പുരുഷൻ।

Word by Word

• अङ्गारकदिने: on Tuesday (day of Aṅgāraka)
• अङ्गारकदिने: अधिकरण (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गारकदिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अङ्गारकस्य दिनम्)

• प्राप्ते: when it has come
• प्राप्ते: विशेषण (Qualifier of अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘दिने’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• चतुर्थ्याम्: on the fourth lunar day
• चतुर्थ्याम्: अधिकरण (Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्थी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तिथिनाम

• नवमीषु: on the ninth lunar days
• नवमीषु: अधिकरण (Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नवमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; तिथिनाम

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पुरुषः: a man/person
• पुरुषः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: करण/हेतु (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• उपोष्य: पूर्वकर्म/क्रियाविशेषण (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-वास् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) from उपवासयति/उपवसति; पूर्वक्रिया

• वराङ्गना: a noble woman
• वराङ्गना: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (वरा अङ्गना)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate continuation into 176.1: “śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca”)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual ford/ghat)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varāṅganā (addressed noble lady)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted man at the riverbank, visibly fasting (simple attire, calm face), performing snāna at dawn; a noble lady addressed (‘varāṅganā’) stands respectfully nearby, indicating a didactic dialogue scene; Tuesday markers suggested by red cloth or Mars symbolism subtly.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional discipline—fasting joined with sacred bathing—multiplies merit and purifies one’s life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A revered tīrtha within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā-region sacred geography) being praised in the closing of Adhyāya 175.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) with bhakti and snāna (ritual bath), especially on Tuesday, Caturthī, and Navamī.