Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

सांप्रतं व्रतकालस्ते वर्षं चैवाष्टमं स्थितम् । तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य लज्जयाऽधोमुखः स्थितः

Transliteration

sāṃprataṃ vratakālaste varṣaṃ caivāṣṭamaṃ sthitam | tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya lajjayā'dhomukhaḥ sthitaḥ

Translation

الآن قد حان وقت نذرك المقدّس (فْرَتَه)، وقد اكتملت سنتك الثامنة أيضًا. فلمّا سمع كلامه وقف مطأطئ الوجه، وقد غلبه الخجل.

Word by Word

• सांप्रतम्: now
• सांप्रतम्: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: now/at present)

• व्रतकालः: the time of the vow
• व्रतकालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समास: व्रतस्य कालः

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• वर्षम्: year
• वर्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunctive particle)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (restrictive/emphatic particle: indeed/just)

• अष्टमम्: eighth
• अष्टमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• स्थितम्: completed/elapsed; standing
• स्थितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (prior action)

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of him/of that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• लज्जया: with shame/out of shame
• लज्जया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लज्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• अधोमुखः: down-faced
• अधोमुखः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधस् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम्; समास: अधोमुख (down-faced)

• स्थितः: stood/remained
• स्थितः: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youth at the cusp of discipline: head bowed, hands folded; an elder announces the arrival of vrata-time; atmosphere of solemn initiation.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• vrata (observance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes timely observances; humility naturally arises when one confronts one’s life-story and duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vrata is indicated as due; the specific rite details are not given in this line.