Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

आलस्यं च दिवानक्तं साधयिष्याम्यसंशयम् । अन्यस्मिन्नहनि प्राप्ते दृष्ट्वा तं मठमध्यगम्

Transliteration

ālasyaṃ ca divānaktaṃ sādhayiṣyāmyasaṃśayam | anyasminnahani prāpte dṛṣṭvā taṃ maṭhamadhyagam

Translation

“আৰু মই দিন-ৰাতি আলস্য সাধিম—নিঃসন্দেহে।” তাৰ পাছত অন্য এদিন, তেওঁক মঠৰ ভিতৰত দেখি,

Word by Word

• आलस्यम्: laziness
• आलस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

• दिवा-नक्तम्: day and night
• दिवा-नक्तम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय) + नक्त (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययार्थ)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — ‘by day and by night’; समासः द्वन्द्वः (दिवा च नक्तं च)

• साधयिष्यामि: I will accomplish
• साधयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: साध् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘I will accomplish/bring about’

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘without doubt’

• अन्यस्मिन्: on another
• अन्यस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative singular; विशेषणम् (अहनि)

• अहनि: day
• अहनि: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative singular

• प्राप्ते: when (it) had come/arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative absolute with ‘अहनि’

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) — ‘having seen’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — accusative singular

• मठ-मध्य-गम्: standing in the middle of the monastery
• मठ-मध्य-गम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मठ (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक; √गम्-सम्बद्ध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — accusative singular; समासः तत्पुरुषः (मठस्य मध्ये गः = मध्यगः)

Speaker

Duḥśīla (continued quote within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Duḥśīla resolves to feign constant laziness, then on a later day spots the man inside the monastery courtyard; the scene shows cloistered corridors, a central court, and the watcher’s poised attention.

Characters & Entities

• maṭha (monastery)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pretending spiritual traits for personal gain is adharma; true discipline is inward and consistent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified; the monastery setting serves the chapter’s tīrtha-framed moral narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse depicts a plan to feign behavior.