Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ये संध्यां नाप्युपासंते कृतघ्ना यांति रौरवम् । प्रतिमासं पृथक्सूर्य ऋषिगन्धर्वराक्षसैः

Transliteration

ye saṃdhyāṃ nāpyupāsaṃte kṛtaghnā yāṃti rauravam | pratimāsaṃ pṛthaksūrya ṛṣigandharvarākṣasaiḥ

Translation

凡不修行哪怕一次晨昏礼（sandhyā）者，因忘恩负义，必堕入罗柔婆地狱。至于太阳神，在每一月各显其别相，行程中有圣仙、乾闼婆与罗刹随侍。

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• saṃdhyām: the sandhyā (twilight rite)
• saṃdhyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि = even/also; here with na = 'not even')

• upāsante: they worship/perform
• upāsante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upās (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• kṛtaghnāḥ: ungrateful
• kṛtaghnāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛtaghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ये इति सर्वनामस्य)

• yānti: they go
• yānti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• rauravam: Raurava (hell)
• rauravam: Gati/Karma (Destination as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raurava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नरकविशेषः

• pratimāsam: every month
• pratimāsam: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'each month'

• pṛthak: separately
• pṛthak: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• sūrya: O Sun
• sūrya: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; संबोधनरूपेण

• ṛṣi-gandharva-rākṣasaiḥ: with sages, gandharvas, and rākṣasas
• ṛṣi-gandharva-rākṣasaiḥ: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi + gandharva + rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Raurava

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Split scene: on one side, a negligent householder turning away from twilight worship; on the other, the terrifying Raurava realm with thorny ground and suffering; above, Sūrya’s radiant path with monthly attendants—ṛṣis, gandharvas, and rākṣasas—moving in ordered procession.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃdhyā
• Raurava (Naraka)
• Sūrya
• Ṛṣis
• Gandharvas
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gratitude expressed through daily worship sustains dharma; neglect of sacred duty is framed as moral failure with karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is praised; the passage emphasizes daily rite and the Sun’s monthly order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular performance of sandhyā worship (saṃdhyopāsanā/saṃdhyā-vandana) is enjoined by implication.