Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

आपद्यनग्नौ तीर्थे च चंद्रसूर्यग्रहे तथा । नाचरेत्संग्रहे चैव तथैवास्तमुपागते

Transliteration

āpadyanagnau tīrthe ca caṃdrasūryagrahe tathā | nācaretsaṃgrahe caiva tathaivāstamupāgate

Translation

ആപത്തിൽ, അഗ്നിസംഭവത്തിൽ, തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ, ചന്ദ്ര-സൂര്യഗ്രഹണത്തിൽ, സംഭരണം/സഞ്ചയകാലത്ത്, കൂടാതെ സൂര്യാസ്തമയത്തിനു ശേഷം—വിധിച്ച ആചാരം/കർമ്മം ചെയ്യരുത്.

Word by Word

• आपदि: in calamity
• आपदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनग्नौ: when there is no fire (fireless state)
• अनग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तीर्थे: at a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहे: during a lunar/solar eclipse
• चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (चन्द्रश्च सूर्यश्च); तत्पुरुष-सम्बन्धेन ग्रहः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थक अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• आचरेत्: should practice/should do
• आचरेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• संग्रहे: in storing/hoarding
• संग्रहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थक अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: just/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (particle)

• अस्तम्: to setting (sunset)
• अस्तम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; दिशि/गत्यर्थे (towards setting)

• उपागते: when (it) has approached/when it has come
• उपागते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + आ + गम् (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Purāṇic discourse style within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-priest pauses a rite: smoky fire in the background (danger), an eclipse darkening sun/moon above, the river/sea-ghāṭa of Prabhāsa nearby, and the sun setting at the horizon—signaling ‘do not proceed now’.

Characters & Entities

• Candra
• Sūrya
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes right timing; even meritorious rites should be avoided when circumstances are inauspicious or disruptive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Prabhāsa-kṣetra; this verse gives general tīrtha-related conduct within that Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition: do not undertake the intended rite/observance during distress, fire, at tīrtha under certain conditions, eclipses, hoarding contexts, and after sunset.