Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

शुक्रांगारकसौरीणां वारेषु लवणांभसि । संतानकामी न स्नाया त्सेतोरन्यत्र कर्हिचित्

Transliteration

śukrāṃgārakasaurīṇāṃ vāreṣu lavaṇāṃbhasi | saṃtānakāmī na snāyā tsetoranyatra karhicit

Translation

സന്താനകാമിയായവൻ ശുക്ര (വെള്ളി), അങ്കാരക (ചൊവ്വ), ശനി (ശനി) ദിവസങ്ങളിൽ ലവണസമുദ്രത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യരുത്; സേതുവൊഴികെ മറ്റെവിടെയും ഒരിക്കലും സ്നാനിക്കരുത്।

Word by Word

• śukra: Venus (planet)
• śukra: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular) — समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• aṃgāraka: Mars (planet)
• aṃgāraka: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃgāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग (Masculine, Nom. sg., compound member)

• saurīṇām: of (the day) of Saturn / Saturdays
• saurīṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saurī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Feminine, Genitive plural)

• vāreṣu: on the weekdays/days
• vāreṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-बहुवचन (Masculine, Locative plural)

• lavaṇa: salty
• lavaṇa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lavaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग (Neuter, Loc. sg., compound member)

• ambhasi: in water
• ambhasi: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन (Neuter, Locative singular)

• saṃtāna: offspring
• saṃtāna: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃtāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग (Masculine, Acc. sg., compound member)

• kāmī: desiring
• kāmī: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• snāyāt: should bathe
• snāyāt: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person singular)

• setoḥ: of Setu (the sacred place/bridge)
• setoḥ: Apādāna/Viṣaya (Reference: from/with respect to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: setu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive singular)

• anyatra: elsewhere
• anyatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: ‘elsewhere’)

• karhicit: ever / at any time
• karhicit: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: karhicit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: ‘ever/at any time’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Setukhaṇḍa instructional style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setutīrtha (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim couple desiring progeny stands at Setu’s shore; the sacred causeway and a distant liṅga/temple silhouette suggest Setu’s unique sanctity, while the vast salt ocean glitters under a planetary-themed sky.

Characters & Entities

• Śukra
• Aṅgāraka
• Saurī (Śani)
• Setu
• Samudra (salt ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage-dharma is place-specific: at Setu the rite is sanctified, while elsewhere one must observe stricter restraints.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu Tīrtha (Setubandha/Rāmeśvaram region) is upheld as uniquely fit for such bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition for those seeking progeny: avoid sea-bathing on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday except at Setu.