Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

आदित्यव्रतसंज्ञाद्यैः सामभिर्दृढभक्तिभाक् । क्षुरिकामंत्रपूर्वैश्च तथैवाथर्वणोद्भवैः

Transliteration

ādityavratasaṃjñādyaiḥ sāmabhirdṛḍhabhaktibhāk | kṣurikāmaṃtrapūrvaiśca tathaivātharvaṇodbhavaiḥ

Translation

आदित्यव्रतनामाद्यैः सामभिर्दृढभक्तिमान् । क्षुरिकामन्त्रपूर्वैश्च तथाथर्वणसम्भवैः ॥

Word by Word

• आदित्य-व्रत-संज्ञ-आद्यैः: with (chants) such as those called Ādityavrata, etc.
• आदित्य-व्रत-संज्ञ-आद्यैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āditya (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃjñā (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (आदित्यव्रतसंज्ञानि आदीनि)

• सामभिः: with Sāma chants
• सामभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• दृढ-भक्ति-भाक्: possessing firm devotion
• दृढ-भक्ति-भाक्: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāj (प्रातिपदिक; भाक्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दृढा भक्ति यस्य सः)

• क्षुरिका-मन्त्र-पूर्वैः: with (chants) beginning with the Kṣurikā-mantra
• क्षुरिका-मन्त्र-पूर्वैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣurikā (प्रातिपदिक) + mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (क्षुरिकामन्त्रपूर्वाणि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Manner adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (Avadhāraṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• अथर्वण-उद्भवैः: with those originating from the Atharva (Veda)
• अथर्वण-उद्भवैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atharvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अथर्वणः उद्भवानि)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee, steady and composed, chants named Sāman hymns (Ādityavrata etc.), then transitions to Atharvan-derived mantras; palm-leaf manuscripts and a ritual fire or lamp may be nearby, indicating textual authority.

Characters & Entities

• Āditya (Sūrya)
• Atharvaveda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True vrata-practice is strengthened by steady bhakti and sanctified speech—praise offered through authorized mantra and Vedic chant.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya setting in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but this verse itself focuses on the worship method rather than naming the location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of Sāman hymns (Sāmaveda style) and Atharvan-derived mantras, including sequences beginning with the ‘Kṣurikā’ mantra, in the performance of Āditya-related vrata worship.