Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तत्प्रभाते परिज्ञाय दंडं धास्यंति दारुणम् । एवं चित्ते समास्थाय तातः संप्रस्थितोऽधुना

Transliteration

tatprabhāte parijñāya daṃḍaṃ dhāsyaṃti dāruṇam | evaṃ citte samāsthāya tātaḥ saṃprasthito'dhunā

Translation

“ভোরে বিষয়টি জানা মাত্রই তারা ভয়ংকর দণ্ড দেবে। এ কথা মনে স্থির করে আমার পিতা এইমাত্র রওনা হয়েছেন।”

Word by Word

• तत्प्रभाते: at that dawn/next morning
• तत्प्रभाते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तस्य प्रभाते); Locative singular (at that dawn)

• परिज्ञाय: having learned
• परिज्ञाय: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + ज्ञा (धातु) → परिज्ञाय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); having ascertained/come to know

• दण्डम्: punishment
• दण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• धास्यन्ति: they will impose
• धास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; 3rd pl future (they will impose)

• दारुणम्: terrible
• दारुणम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective agreeing with दण्डम्

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (thus)

• चित्ते: in (my) mind
• चित्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (in mind)

• समास्थाय: having resolved
• समास्थाय: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + स्था (धातु) → समास्थाय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); having resolved/decided

• तातः: father
• तातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• संप्रस्थितः: has departed/set out
• संप्रस्थितः: Kriya (Predicative action)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + स्था (धातु) → संप्रस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; past participle used predicatively (has set out)

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kriya-vishesana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (now)

Speaker

Sakhī (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nīlā (contextual)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night thinning toward dawn; the friend describes the certainty of harsh punishment once the act is known, and her father departing urgently, burdened by dread.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes accountability—wrongdoing brings consequences, so one should hasten toward correction and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named here; the narrative builds urgency that leads to the nearby purifying jalāśaya described later.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the verse motivates immediate action toward remedy, later expressed as cleansing at a sacred water-body.