Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

सादित्यां मध्यमां संध्यां जपेदादित्यसंमुखः । काललोपो न कर्तव्यस्ततः कालं प्रतीक्षयेत्

Transliteration

sādityāṃ madhyamāṃ saṃdhyāṃ japedādityasaṃmukhaḥ | kālalopo na kartavyastataḥ kālaṃ pratīkṣayet

Translation

ในสันธยากลางวัน พึงสวดชปะโดยหันหน้าเข้าหาดวงอาทิตย์ ไม่พึงละเลยกาลอันกำหนดไว้ ฉะนั้นจึงควรรอคอยกาลที่ถูกต้องแล้วจึงประกอบพิธี

Word by Word

• सा: that
• सा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘संध्याम्’ इत्यस्य निर्देशः

• आदित्याम्: solar; of the sun
• आदित्याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘संध्याम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (solar)

• मध्यमाम्: middle (midday)
• मध्यमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘संध्याम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• संध्याम्: the twilight rite (sandhyā)
• संध्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आदित्यसंमुखः: facing the sun
• आदित्यसंमुखः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (आदित्यस्य संमुखः)

• काललोपः: omission of the proper time
• काललोपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + लोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य लोपः)

• न: not
• न: Kriya-pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• कर्तव्यः: to be done; should be done
• कर्तव्यः: Kriya (Predicative obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to be done)

• ततः: therefore; thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (ablatival adverb: therefore/thereafter)

• कालम्: the proper time
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रतीक्षयेत्: should wait for
• प्रतीक्षयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति√ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Gaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (sandhyā-ācāra within the kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at midday, heat-haze over ghats, standing or seated with añjali and mālā, face turned toward the blazing Sun; a clock-like sense of waiting for the exact sandhyā moment.

Characters & Entities

• Madhyāhna-sandhyā
• Āditya (Sun)
• Kāla (proper time)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected by honoring time; punctuality in sacred duties is itself a form of reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred context; the verse prescribes universal sandhyā conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Midday sandhyā-japa should be done facing the Sun, without skipping or collapsing the proper time-window.