Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

सहायार्थं च सूर्यस्य यो द्विजो नांजलि त्रयम् । क्षिपेन्मंदेहनाशाय सोपि मंदेहतां व्रजेत्

Transliteration

sahāyārthaṃ ca sūryasya yo dvijo nāṃjali trayam | kṣipenmaṃdehanāśāya sopi maṃdehatāṃ vrajet

Translation

സൂര്യനെ സഹായിക്കാനായി മന്ദേഹനാശാർത്ഥം മൂന്ന് അഞ്ജലി ജലാർഘ്യം അർപ്പിക്കുന്ന ദ്വിജൻ, വിധിയാചാരത്തിൽ തെറ്റിയാൽ അവനും ‘മന്ദേഹ’ അവസ്ഥയെ പ്രാപിക്കും।

Word by Word

• सहाय-अर्थम्: for help
• सहाय-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहाय (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सहायस्य अर्थः/सहायार्थः) — प्रयोजनार्थे

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सूर्यस्य: of the Sun
• सूर्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• द्विजः: a Brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; यः इत्यस्य विशेषण/समनाधिकरण

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अञ्जलि-त्रयम्: three handfuls (anjalis)
• अञ्जलि-त्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः अञ्जलयः)

• क्षिपेत्: should throw
• क्षिपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मन्देह-नाशाय: for the destruction of the Mandehas
• मन्देह-नाशाय: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्देह (प्रातिपदिक) + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मन्देहानां नाशः) — प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदानार्थे

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (also/even)

• मन्देह-ताम्: the state of being a Mandeha
• मन्देह-ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्देह (प्रातिपदिक) + ता (प्रत्यय; भाववाचक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तद्धितान्त-भाववाचक (मन्देहत्वम्)

• व्रजेत्: would go / should go (become)
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Traditional Purāṇic narrator (contextual instruction within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dvija offers three arghya handfuls toward the Sun; beside him, a shadow-form of a Maṇḍeha mirrors his posture—signifying that without ācāra the worshipper becomes what he opposes.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Vivasvān)
• Maṇḍeha rākṣasas
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily rites are not optional: supporting dharma through nitya-karma (like arghya to Sūrya) safeguards one from spiritual downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage is primarily a dharma-instruction within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa, not a focused praise of a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering three añjalis (three cupped handfuls) of water as arghya to Sūrya for Maṇḍeha-nāśa.