Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

नोपतिष्ठेत्तु यः पूर्व्वां नोपास्ते यस्तु पश्चिमाम् । स शूद्रवद्बहिष्कार्यः सर्वस्माद्द्विजकर्मणः

Transliteration

nopatiṣṭhettu yaḥ pūrvvāṃ nopāste yastu paścimām | sa śūdravadbahiṣkāryaḥ sarvasmāddvijakarmaṇaḥ

Translation

若有人不赴清晨的sandhyā，又不于黄昏的sandhyā修敬拜者——当如首陀罗（Śūdra）一般被摒除，不得行一切二次生（dvija）之法业。

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• upatiṣṭhet: should attend/stand by (perform)
• upatiṣṭhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक-निपात

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यद्

• pūrvām: the eastern (sandhyā)
• pūrvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; (संध्याम्) अनुवृत्त-विशेषण

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• upāste: worships/serves (performs)
• upāste: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + ās (आस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यद्

• tu: and/but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक-निपात

• paścimām: the western (sandhyā)
• paścimām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; (संध्याम्) अनुवृत्त-विशेषण

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक

• śūdra-vat: like a śūdra
• śūdra-vat: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śūdra (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक-वत् (like a śūdra)

• bahiṣkāryaḥ: to be excluded
• bahiṣkāryaḥ: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahiṣ + kārya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ)
• Form: भविष्यत्कर्तव्यतार्थक (तव्य/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be excluded)

• sarvasmāt: from all
• sarvasmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; अपादानार्थ (from all)

• dvija-karmaṇaḥ: from the rites of the twice-born
• dvija-karmaṇaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: द्विजस्य कर्म (rites of a twice-born)

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa normative dharma injunction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a teacher/ācārya admonishes a negligent dvija at dawn/dusk thresholds; the neglected sandhyā shown as fading light, with ritual implements unused.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Śūdra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular sandhyā observance is treated as foundational to dvija religious discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; it is a rule about daily rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not omit morning and evening sandhyā; neglect is said to disqualify one from dvija rites.