Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणात्तोयमस्त्ररूपं क्षिपाम्यहम् । संध्या कालं समुद्दिश्य भानुं संध्यां न पार्वति

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇāttoyamastrarūpaṃ kṣipāmyaham | saṃdhyā kālaṃ samuddiśya bhānuṃ saṃdhyāṃ na pārvati

Translation

ഈ കാരണത്താൽ ഞാൻ ഈ ജലത്തെ അസ്ത്രരൂപത്തിൽ ക്ഷിപിക്കുന്നു; സന്ധ്യാകാലത്തെ ലക്ഷ്യമാക്കി ഭാനുവിനെ ഉദ്ദേശിച്ച്—ഹേ പാർവതീ! ഇത് സ്ത്രീരൂപ സന്ധ്യയ്ക്ക് നമസ്കാരം അല്ല, സൂര്യരക്ഷാർത്ഥമാണ്.

Word by Word

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• कारणात्: because of the reason
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative), एकवचनम्

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• अस्त्ररूपम्: in the form of a weapon
• अस्त्ररूपम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: astra-rūpa (प्रातिपदिक; अस्त्र + रूप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (अस्त्रस्य रूपम्)

• क्षिपामि: I cast/throw
• क्षिपामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṣip (क्षिप्)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तम-पुरुषः (1st), एकवचनम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• सन्ध्या: the twilight (rite/time)
• सन्ध्या: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; (पाठानुसारं) क्रियाविशेषणार्थे/उद्देश्य-निर्देशे

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• समुद्दिश्य: having aimed at / intending
• समुद्दिश्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ud-√diś (दिश्) (कृदन्त; ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund), ‘समुद्दिश्य’ = having aimed at/with reference to

• भानुम्: the Sun
• भानुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhānu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• सन्ध्याम्: twilight
• सन्ध्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• पार्वति: O Pārvatī
• पार्वति: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्; (सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा-रूपप्रयोगः)

Speaker

Śiva (Mahādeva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Teacher-figure (Brahmā-like) instructs Pārvatī: one hand gestures to the twilight horizon, the other shows water as a radiant ‘weapon’; the Sun is depicted moving safely.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī
• Sūrya (Bhānu)
• Sandhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts are to be understood by their dhārmic purpose: Sandhyā rites protect cosmic rhythm and are not mere personal preference.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya framework, emphasizing the sanctifying power of Sandhyā performed in sacred settings, without naming a specific site here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Casting/using water at Sandhyā time (sāndhyajala) as a protective, weapon-like ritual gesture associated with Sandhyā-vandana.