Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

तदायनाभिधानस्तु विषुवोऽथ विशिष्यते । रवेः संक्रमणं राशौ संक्रांतिरिति कथ्यते

Transliteration

tadāyanābhidhānastu viṣuvo'tha viśiṣyate | raveḥ saṃkramaṇaṃ rāśau saṃkrāṃtiriti kathyate

Translation

ആ ‘വിഷുവ’ പിന്നെയും ‘ആയന’ എന്ന പേരാൽ വിശേഷിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. സൂര്യൻ ഒരു രാശിയിലേക്കുള്ള പ്രവേശനത്തെ ‘സംക്രാന്തി’ എന്നു പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• tadā: then
• tadā: Sambandha (Temporal adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• ayana-abhidhānaḥ: having the designation ‘Ayana’ (solstice)
• ayana-abhidhānaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ayana + abhidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ayanasya abhidhānam yasya)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक अव्यय (indeed)

• viṣuvaḥ: the equinox (Viṣuva)
• viṣuvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣuva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• viśiṣyate: is distinguished; becomes special
• viśiṣyate: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-śiṣ (विशिष् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is distinguished/excels)

• raveḥ: of the Sun
• raveḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ravi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• saṃkramaṇam: the transition (ingress)
• saṃkramaṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃ-kramaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रियानाम (act of passing/transition)

• rāśau: in a zodiac sign
• rāśau: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāśi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• saṃkrāntiḥ: Saṃkrānti (solar ingress)
• saṃkrāntiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkrānti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संज्ञा (technical term)

• iti: thus; called
• iti: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-समाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• kathyate: is said/is called
• kathyate: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (कथ् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (Passive)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (contextual; addressing the King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmological diagram: the Sun’s path with two ‘turning’ points labeled Āyana/Viṣuva; twelve rāśi gates; the sage gestures to the diagram while explaining to the king.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sun)
• Āyana
• Viṣuva
• Saṃkrānti
• Rāśi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual dharma is tied to cosmic order: understanding solar transitions helps one choose times that magnify the fruit of sacred acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding chapter belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, but this verse is a calendrical definition rather than a site-panegyric.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It defines saṃkrānti as the Sun’s ingress into a rāśi, providing the technical basis for selecting auspicious ritual times.