Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वृषस्थे भास्करे पश्चात्तस्या उपरि स्रावि यत् । जलयन्त्रं दिवारात्रं धारयस्व प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

vṛṣasthe bhāskare paścāttasyā upari srāvi yat | jalayantraṃ divārātraṃ dhārayasva prayatnataḥ

Translation

Sau đó, khi Mặt Trời nhập cung Kim Ngưu, hãy cẩn trọng duy trì một dụng cụ nhỏ giọt nước đặt phía trên nàng, suốt ngày đêm không gián đoạn.

Word by Word

• वृषस्थे: when (the Sun) is in Taurus
• वृषस्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक; √sthā धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (vṛṣe sthite = when Taurus is stationed/when Sun is in Vṛṣa)

• भास्करे: when the Sun (Bhāskara)
• भास्करे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Sambandha (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (adverb of sequence)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• उपरि: upon/above
• उपरि: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश/अधिकरणवाचक (preposition/adverb: 'upon')

• स्रावि: (that which is) to be made to flow/drip
• स्रावि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sru (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त/भाववाचक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'स्रावि' = स्राव्यं/स्रावणीयम् (that which is to be made to flow)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Karma/Link (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• जलयन्त्रम्: water-device (dripper apparatus)
• जलयन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + yantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (jalasya yantram)

• दिवारात्रम्: day and night (continuously)
• दिवारात्रम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: divā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable adverb)

• धारयस्व: hold/maintain
• धारयस्व: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort/carefully
• प्रयत्नतः: Sambandha (Manner adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषण (ablatival adverb: 'with effort')

Speaker

The sage (muni) prescribing the remedy

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A simple shrine with the Goddess’ icon below; above it a suspended water vessel/yantra dripping continuously; the sun sign Taurus indicated by a bull emblem or zodiac wheel; attendants ensure day-night flow.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara (Sun)
• Vṛṣa (Taurus)
• jalayantra (water device)
• Devī (implied: tasyāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic practice harmonizes time (solar transit) and ritual action; steady devotion expressed as continuous service brings relief and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the ritual is framed as tīrtha-linked instruction though this line does not name the place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain a jalayantra for continuous water-dripping (a form of abhiṣeka) above the deity/image, day and night, timed to the Sun’s entry into Taurus.