Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तत्र गत्वा कुरु स्नानं सप्तम्यां रविवासरे । माघमासे तु संप्राप्ते शुक्लपक्षे विशेषतः

Transliteration

tatra gatvā kuru snānaṃ saptamyāṃ ravivāsare | māghamāse tu saṃprāpte śuklapakṣe viśeṣataḥ

Translation

അവിടെ ചെന്നു ഞായറാഴ്ചയോടുകൂടിയ സപ്തമി തിഥിയിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുക. പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് മാഘമാസം വന്നപ്പോൾ, വിശേഷമായി ശുക്ലപക്ഷത്തിൽ.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘having gone’

• कुरु: do/perform
• कुरु: Kriya (आज्ञार्थक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd), एकवचनम्; ‘do’

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; object of कुरु

• सप्तम्याम्: on the seventh lunar day
• सप्तम्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; locative ‘on the seventh (tithi)’

• रवि-वासरे: on Sunday
• रवि-वासरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक) + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (रवेः वासरः); पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; locative ‘on Sunday’

• माघ-मासे: in the month of Māgha
• माघ-मासे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; locative ‘in the month of Māgha’

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• संप्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/सप्तमी-absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; सप्तमी-absolute ‘when (it) has arrived’ (i.e., when Māgha has come)

• शुक्ल-पक्षे: in the bright fortnight
• शुक्ल-पक्षे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; locative ‘in the bright fortnight’

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Tapasvī (resident ascetic guide, as quoted by Kārpaṭika)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvāmitra-jalāvaha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Afflicted pilgrim-narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim is shown preparing for a ritual bath at dawn; a calendar-like motif indicates Māgha, śukla pakṣa, Saptamī, and the Sun’s day; the tīrtha waters shimmer with sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra-jalāvaha Tīrtha
• Māgha māsa
• Śukla pakṣa
• Ravivāra
• Saptamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced through right time and right place—observance gains potency when aligned with sacred calendars and tīrtha-vidhi.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The instruction refers to the previously named Viśvāmitra-jalāvaha tīrtha near Jalaśāyin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna at that tīrtha on Saptamī falling on Sunday, with special emphasis on Māgha month, bright fortnight.