Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

द्वादश्यां माघमासस्य गंधपुष्पानुलेपनैः । सोऽप्यवाप्स्यति यच्चित्ते वर्तते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

dvādaśyāṃ māghamāsasya gaṃdhapuṣpānulepanaiḥ | so'pyavāpsyati yaccitte vartate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

മാഘമാസത്തിലെ ദ്വാദശിദിനത്തിൽ ഗന്ധം, പുഷ്പം, അനുലേപനം എന്നിവയോടെ ആരാധിക്കുന്ന ഭക്തൻ, ഹൃദയത്തിൽ ഉള്ള ആഗ്രഹം നിശ്ചയമായി പ്രാപിക്കും—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല।

Word by Word

• dvādaśyām: on the twelfth lunar day
• dvādaśyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-सप्तमी (locative of time)

• māgha-māsasya: of the month of Māgha
• māgha-māsasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māgha (प्रातिपदिक) + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative)

• gandha-puṣpa-anulepanaiḥ: with perfumes, flowers, and unguents
• gandha-puṣpa-anulepanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + anulepana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• api: also, even
• api: Discourse particle (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव

• avāpsyati: will obtain
• avāpsyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु) उपसर्ग: ava-
• Form: लृट् (Future/भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• yat: whatever (that which)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• citte: in (one's) mind
• citte: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• vartate: exists, remains
• vartate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Negation (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• atra: here, in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (continuing instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vāsudeva (Keśava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee on Māgha Dvādaśī offers fragrant sandal paste, flowers, and perfumed unguents before a Viṣṇu icon; the atmosphere is crisp, winter-bright, with lamps and orderly upacāras.

Characters & Entities

• Māgha
• Dvādaśī
• Subhadrā (contextual)
• Viṣṇu (contextual)
• Balarāma (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (Māgha Dvādaśī) joined with devoted worship is taught as highly fruitful and wish-fulfilling.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the promise is framed within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform worship on Māgha Dvādaśī using fragrances, flowers, and anointing substances.