Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

यावत्स्थास्याम्यहं मर्त्ये कस्मिंश्चित्कारणांतरे । तावत्संध्यात्रयं वंद्यं नित्यमेव त्रिपुष्करे

Transliteration

yāvatsthāsyāmyahaṃ martye kasmiṃścitkāraṇāṃtare | tāvatsaṃdhyātrayaṃ vaṃdyaṃ nityameva tripuṣkare

Translation

‘ตราบใดที่เรายังพำนักอยู่ในโลกมนุษย์ด้วยเหตุอันใดอันหนึ่ง ตราบนั้น ณ ตริปุษกร พึงบูชาสันธยาทั้งสามด้วยความเคารพเป็นนิตย์ทุกวัน’

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (correlative: as long as)

• स्थास्यामि: I will stay
• स्थास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मर्त्ये: in the mortal world
• मर्त्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• कस्मिंश्चित्: in some
• कस्मिंश्चित्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक-सर्वनाम (indefinite)

• कारणान्तरे: in some other circumstance/reason
• कारणान्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—कारणस्य अन्तरे (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• तावत्: for that long
• तावत्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (correlative: so long/that long)

• संध्यात्रयम्: the three daily twilight rites
• संध्यात्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—त्रयः संध्याः (द्विगु-समासः)

• वन्द्यम्: to be worshipped
• वन्द्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्द् (धातु) → वन्द्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; कृदन्त (यत्) — ‘to be worshipped’

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (adverbial accusative)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• त्रिपुष्करे: at Tripuṣkara
• त्रिपुष्करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—त्रीणि पुष्कराणि यस्मिन् (नामधेय-स्थलवाचक; परम्परया तत्पुरुषवत्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (quoting/recalling Brahmā’s vow within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tripuṣkara

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā declares a vow beside three sacred tanks (Tripuṣkara), while pilgrims perform Sandhyā at dawn, noon, and dusk—three vignettes in one frame: arghya to the sun, japa, and lamp-lighting at evening.

Characters & Entities

• Tripuṣkara
• Sandhyā (three junction-times)
• Brahmā (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is joined to daily discipline: sacred places amplify, but do not replace, the steady rhythm of nitya-karma like Sandhyā worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tripuṣkara, presented as a place where the three Sandhyās are especially to be honored.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform reverent worship/salutation of the three Sandhyā times daily (saṃdhyātraya-vandana) at Tripuṣkara.