Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

पठिता सप्तमी या च पुरश्चरणसंज्ञिता । पुरश्चरणतः पापं विहितं तु यथा व्रजेत्

Transliteration

paṭhitā saptamī yā ca puraścaraṇasaṃjñitā | puraścaraṇataḥ pāpaṃ vihitaṃ tu yathā vrajet

Translation

وہ سَپتمی جو پڑھی جاتی ہے اور ‘پُرشچرن’ کے نام سے جانی جاتی ہے—اسی پُرشچرن کے ذریعے گناہ مقررہ ودھی کے مطابق دور ہو جاتا ہے، جیسا کہ بیان ہے۔

Word by Word

• पठिता: recited/read
• पठिता: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सप्तमी: the seventh (chapter/day)/Saptamī
• सप्तमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-यत्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक)

• पुरश्चरणसंज्ञिता: called ‘puraścaraṇa’
• पुरश्चरणसंज्ञिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरश्चरण (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा with सम्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (पुरश्चरण-नाम्नी/पुरश्चरणेन संज्ञिता)

• पुरश्चरणतः: from/by (the act of) puraścaraṇa
• पुरश्चरणतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरश्चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverbial)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• विहितम्: prescribed/ordained
• विहितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Contrast/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात)

• यथा: as/how
• यथा: Prakaraṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकार/उपमान/यथार्थक)

• व्रजेत्: should go/proceed
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (potential/optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Caṇḍaśarman (continuing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-to-dawn Saptamī observance: a practitioner seated on kuśa grass, reciting from palm leaves, with a small altar, lamp, and offerings; a symbolic dark cloud (pāpa) disperses as light rises.

Characters & Entities

• Saptamī
• Puraścaraṇa
• Pāpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma teaches that specific vrata-days, when performed as prescribed, function as powerful instruments of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights a vrata (Puraścaraṇa Saptamī) rather than naming a site; it operates within the tīrtha-oriented frame of the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance/recitation of the ‘Puraścaraṇa’ Saptamī is presented as a means by which sin departs according to prescription.