Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42
पाखंडैः पतितैः सार्धं तस्मिन्नहनि नालपेत् । भक्षयित्वा नृपश्रेष्ठ प्रभाते दन्तधावनम् । मंत्रेणानेन पश्चाच्च कर्तव्यो नियमो नृप
pākhaṃḍaiḥ patitaiḥ sārdhaṃ tasminnahani nālapet | bhakṣayitvā nṛpaśreṣṭha prabhāte dantadhāvanam | maṃtreṇānena paścācca kartavyo niyamo nṛpa
ആ ദിവസം പാഖണ്ഡികളോടും പതിതരോടും സംഭാഷിക്കരുത്. ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, (നിയത സമയത്ത്) ആഹാരം കഴിച്ച്, പ്രഭാതത്തിൽ ദന്തധാവനം ചെയ്ത്; തുടർന്ന്, ഹേ രാജാവേ, ഈ മന്ത്രത്തോടെ നിയമം സ്വീകരിക്കണം.
Mārkaṇḍeya
Tirtha: Puraścaraṇa Saptamī
Type: ghat
Listener: Rohitāśva
Scene: A disciplined vrata morning: the devotee avoids impure company, performs dantadhāvana at dawn, then begins the vow with mantra, seated facing the rising Sun.
FAQs
Vrata is upheld by ācāra—purity of company, speech restraint, and disciplined routine support inner purification.
No specific tīrtha is named; the verse provides vrata-day conduct within the māhātmya context.
Do not converse with pāṣaṇḍas/patitās on that day; perform morning tooth-cleaning; then undertake the niyama using the stated mantra.