Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

रोहिणीसहिता ये न द्वादशी समुपोषिता । महापातकसंयुक्तः कल्पांते नाकमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

rohiṇīsahitā ye na dvādaśī samupoṣitā | mahāpātakasaṃyuktaḥ kalpāṃte nākamāpnuyāt

Translation

凡未能在与罗希尼宿（Rohiṇī）相合之十二日斋（Dvādaśī）如法守斋者，仍染重罪；纵至一劫终尽，亦不得升天。

Word by Word

• rohiṇī-sahitā: accompanied by Rohiṇī
• rohiṇī-sahitā: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rohiṇī (प्रातिपदिक) + sahita (कृदन्त; √sah (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (रोहिण्या सहिताः/सहिता); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; विशेषणम् (dvādaśī)

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

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• dvādaśī: the Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)
• dvādaśī: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन (उपोषिता इत्यस्य कर्म)

• samupoṣitā: (has been) fasted/observed as a fast
• samupoṣitā: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-upoṣita (कृदन्त; sam- + upa- + √vas/√uṣ? 'उपवसति' from √vas (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त; कर्मणि/भावे), स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; 'उपोषिता (अस्ति)'—past passive participle used predicatively

• mahā-pātaka-saṃyuktaḥ: associated with great sins
• mahā-pātaka-saṃyuktaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + pātaka (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyukta (कृदन्त; sam- + √yuj (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (महापातकेन संयुक्तः); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; विशेषणम् (saḥ understood)

• kalpa-ante: at the end of the aeon
• kalpa-ante: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कल्पस्य अन्ते); पुल्लिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th) एकवचन

• nākam: heaven
• nākam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन

• āpnuyāt: would attain
• āpnuyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; निषेधेन सह—'न ... आप्नुयात्'

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands before a pañcāṅga and temple lamp, realizing the Rohiṇī–Dvādaśī conjunction; the scene contrasts disciplined fasting with the shadow of Yama’s realm implied by neglect.

Characters & Entities

• Dvādaśī
• Rohiṇī (nakṣatra)
• Nāka (Svarga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of a highly sanctified vrata-time (Dvādaśī with Rohiṇī) is warned against as spiritually damaging.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction appears within Dvārakā-māhātmya, framing vrata-observance as part of Dvārakā’s sacred discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe a proper fast on Dvādaśī, especially when it coincides with Rohiṇī nakṣatra.