Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

अर्चयामास विधिवत्पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः । श्रद्धया परया युक्तो रविवारे विशेषतः

Transliteration

arcayāmāsa vidhivatpuṣpadhūpānulepanaiḥ | śraddhayā parayā yukto ravivāre viśeṣataḥ

Translation

स विधिवदर्चयामास पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः; परया श्रद्धया युक्तो रविवारे विशेषतः।

Word by Word

• अर्चयामास: worshipped
• अर्चयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) + णिच् (causative/intensive usage)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; (आमास-प्रयोगः) परिपूर्णभूतार्थे

• विधिवत्: duly/according to rite
• विधिवत्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (according to rule)

• पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः: with flowers, incense, and unguents
• पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प + धूप + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—पुष्पं च धूपः च अनुलेपनं च (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन

• परया: supreme/great
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; श्रद्धया इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• युक्तः: endowed/engaged
• युक्तः: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषणम्

• रविवारे: on Sunday
• रविवारे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रविवार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण; समासः—रवेः वारः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (especially)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Before the Sūrya image, the king offers garlands, incense smoke curls upward, and sandal paste is applied; the scene is suffused with golden morning light of Sunday.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadbala
• Sūrya (worshipped)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is strengthened by vidhi (right method) and śraddhā (deep faith), and sacred timing (Sunday) intensifies Sūrya worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya kṣetra connected to the Puṣkara-traya account, where Sūrya worship is portrayed as powerfully meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sūrya pūjā with puṣpa (flowers), dhūpa (incense), and anulepana (anointing), with emphasis on Ravivāra (Sunday).