Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

कृतस्याक्षयकारिण्यः सुकृतस्य महाफलाः । यदा स्यान्मेषगो भानुस्तुलां वाथ यदा व्रजेत्

Transliteration

kṛtasyākṣayakāriṇyaḥ sukṛtasya mahāphalāḥ | yadā syānmeṣago bhānustulāṃ vātha yadā vrajet

Translation

ഇവ കൃതപുണ്യത്തെ അക്ഷയമാക്കുകയും സുകൃതത്തിന് മഹാഫലം നൽകുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു—വിശേഷിച്ച് സൂര്യൻ മേഷത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിക്കുമ്പോഴും, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ തുലയിൽ പ്രവേശിക്കുമ്പോഴും.

Word by Word

• kṛtasya: of what is done; of the rite performed
• kṛtasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• akṣayakāriṇyaḥ: causing imperishability; unfailing
• akṣayakāriṇyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya + kāriṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः (akṣayaṃ karoti iti)

• sukṛtasya: of meritorious act
• sukṛtasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• mahāphalāḥ: having great fruit; highly rewarding
• mahāphalāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (mahāni phalāni yāsām)

• yadā: when
• yadā: Sambandha (Temporal connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb: when)

• syāt: would be/is (should be)
• syāt: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• meṣagaḥ: going into Aries (Meṣa)
• meṣagaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: meṣa + ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (meṣe gacchati iti)

• bhānuḥ: the Sun
• bhānuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhānu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tulām: Libra (Tulā)
• tulām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tulā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; राशिनाम

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• atha: then/also
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक/प्रस्तावक अव्यय (then/and also)

• yadā: when
• yadā: Sambandha (Temporal connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (when)

• vrajet: would go/enters
• vrajet: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (व्रज् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) implied by surrounding verses; explicit address appears next verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-king receives instruction from a sage: the Sun’s entry into Meṣa and Tulā is shown as a radiant solar disk crossing zodiacal gateways; devotees offer water-libations and gifts at a tīrtha bank.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Bhānu)
• Meṣa (Aries)
• Tulā (Libra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right action becomes ‘akṣaya’ (undiminishing) when performed at spiritually charged junctions of solar time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights saṅkrānti-based sacred timing; within tīrtha literature this typically magnifies the fruit of bathing and giving at holy waters, though no site is named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dharmic acts (especially snāna/dāna and related rites from the surrounding context) at Meṣa-saṅkrānti and Tulā-saṅkrānti for akṣaya merit.