Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

मार्कंडेय उवाच । अस्ति राजन्व्रतं पुण्यं पुरश्चरणसंज्ञितम् । पुरश्चरणसंज्ञा तु सप्तमी सूर्यवल्लभा

Transliteration

mārkaṃḍeya uvāca | asti rājanvrataṃ puṇyaṃ puraścaraṇasaṃjñitam | puraścaraṇasaṃjñā tu saptamī sūryavallabhā

Translation

มารกันเฑยะกล่าวว่า: “ข้าแต่พระราชา มีวรตะอันเป็นบุญชื่อว่า ‘ปุรัศจะรณะ’ วันซึ่งเรียกว่า ‘ปุรัศจะรณะ’ นั้นคือสัปตมี (ดิถีที่เจ็ด) อันเป็นที่รักของพระสุริยะ”

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Existence)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन

• व्रतम्: a vow
• व्रतम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; व्रतम् इति विशेषणम्

• पुरश्चरणसंज्ञितम्: called ‘puraścaraṇa’
• पुरश्चरणसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरश्चरण (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त; सम्+ज्ञा धातु, क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (पुरश्चरण इति संज्ञा यस्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; व्रतम् इति विशेषणम्

• पुरश्चरणसंज्ञा: the name ‘puraścaraṇa’
• पुरश्चरणसंज्ञा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरश्चरण (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘the designation/name (of) puraścaraṇa’

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• सप्तमी: the seventh (lunar day)
• सप्तमी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तिथिवाचक-शब्दः

• सूर्यवल्लभा: beloved of the Sun
• सूर्यवल्लभा: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्लभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यस्य वल्लभा); सप्तमी इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puraścaraṇa (Saptamī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rohitāśva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya proclaims the Puraścaraṇa vrata; behind him a radiant Sūrya disc rises, indicating Saptamī’s solar favor; the king listens attentively.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma offers a focused vrata—linked to sacred time (Saptamī) and Sūrya—to generate strong purifying merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse primarily glorifies sacred time (Saptamī) rather than naming a specific location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of the meritorious ‘Puraścaraṇa’ vrata on Saptamī, a day especially connected to the Sun.