Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

ततस्ताः पुष्पधूपाद्यैः समभ्यर्च्य चिरं द्विजः । त्रिसंध्यं क्रमशः प्राप्तो देहांते भास्करालयम्

Transliteration

tatastāḥ puṣpadhūpādyaiḥ samabhyarcya ciraṃ dvijaḥ | trisaṃdhyaṃ kramaśaḥ prāpto dehāṃte bhāskarālayam

Translation

ततः पुष्पधूपादिभिः चिरं ताः समभ्यर्च्य द्विजः। त्रिसन्ध्यां क्रमशोऽनुतिष्ठन् देहान्ते भास्करालयं प्राप॥

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्ययीभावार्थ/क्रमसूचक — 'then/from there'

• ताः: those (them)
• ताः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन — 'them (those [images])'

• पुष्प-धूप-आद्यैः: with flowers, incense, etc.
• पुष्प-धूप-आद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + धूप (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन — 'with flowers, incense, etc.'

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + √अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव — 'having duly worshipped'

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण — 'for a long time'

• द्विजः: the twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'the brāhmaṇa'

• त्रि-सन्ध्यम्: at the three daily junctions
• त्रि-सन्ध्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास, क्रियाविशेषण — 'thrice daily/at the three sandhyās'

• क्रमशः: gradually
• क्रमशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रमशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — 'in order/gradually'

• प्राप्तः: reached
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — 'having attained/reached' (finite sense with 'dvijaḥ')

• देह-अन्ते: at death
• देह-अन्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — 'at the end of the body (at death)'

• भास्कर-आलयम्: the abode of Bhāskara (Sun)
• भास्कर-आलयम्: Karman (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — 'Sun's abode'

Speaker

Narrative (implied Purāṇic narrator; immediate next verse marks Sūta speaking)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dvija performs long-term worship of three Sūrya images with flowers and incense; the day cycles through three sandhyās; at life’s end, a radiant solar chariot or golden gateway receives him into Bhāskara’s abode.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Dvija (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady worship with daily discipline (tri-sandhyā) leads to exalted posthumous attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Sūrya-centered sacred setting within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the verse emphasizes Bhāskara’s abode rather than naming a single place here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship with flowers and incense, along with regular observance of the three daily sandhyā rites.