Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

कर्मणा मनसा वाचा यद्रात्रौ कुरुते त्वघम् । उत्तिष्ठन्पूर्वसंध्यायां प्राणायामैर्विशोधयेत्

Transliteration

karmaṇā manasā vācā yadrātrau kurute tvagham | uttiṣṭhanpūrvasaṃdhyāyāṃ prāṇāyāmairviśodhayet

Translation

凡夜间以身、以意、以语所作之罪，至晨曦交界时起身，当以调息（prāṇāyāma）而净除之。

Word by Word

• karmaṇā: by action
• karmaṇā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणार्थे (by action/deed)

• manasā: by mind
• manasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणार्थे (by mind)

• vācā: by speech
• vācā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणार्थे (by speech)

• yat: whatever
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे—‘यद्…अघम्’ (whatever sin)

• rātrau: at night
• rātrau: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (at night)

• kurute: does / commits
• kurute: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• agham: sin
• agham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• uttiṣṭhan: rising (up)
• uttiṣṭhan: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√sthā (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘उत्तिष्ठन्’ = rising/standing up

• pūrva-saṃdhyāyām: in the morning twilight
• pūrva-saṃdhyāyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃdhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (at the morning twilight)

• prāṇāyāmaiḥ: by prāṇāyāmas
• prāṇāyāmaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇāyāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करणार्थे (by prāṇāyāmas)

• viśodhayet: should purify
• viśodhayet: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√śudh (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (should purify)

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa narrative voice; ritual instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prātaḥ-sandhyā (kāla-tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A person rising at pre-dawn, washing face, sitting facing east; the night’s dark veil dissolves into pink light as prāṇāyāma ‘cleanses’ smoky shadows labeled kāya/manas/vāk.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily repentance and purification are integrated into sandhyā practice through prāṇāyāma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on the sandhyā duty.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

At morning twilight, perform prāṇāyāma to cleanse sins accrued during the night.