Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

तस्मादुद्गच्छतु प्राज्ञे त्वद्वाक्यात्तीक्ष्णदीधितिः । यज्ञक्रिया विशेषेण येन वर्तंति भूतले

Transliteration

tasmādudgacchatu prājñe tvadvākyāttīkṣṇadīdhitiḥ | yajñakriyā viśeṣeṇa yena vartaṃti bhūtale

Translation

অতএব, হে প্রাজ্ঞে, তোমার বাক্যে তীক্ষ্ণরশ্মিধর ভাস্কর উদিত হোন, যাতে ভূতলে বিশেষত যজ্ঞক্রিয়া অব্যাহত থাকে।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), अपादानार्थक-निपातवत्; from that/therefore

• उद्गच्छतु: let (it) arise/go forth
• उद्गच्छतु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थक), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘let (it) go forth/ arise’

• प्राज्ञे: O wise one
• प्राज्ञे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रायः (O wise one)

• त्वत्: your
• त्वत्: Sambandha/Genitive (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘of you/your’ (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• वाक्यात्: from (your) words
• वाक्यात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान ‘from the statement/words’

• तीक्ष्णदीधितिः: the sharp radiance
• तीक्ष्णदीधितिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीक्ष्ण + दीधिति (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘तीक्ष्णा दीधितिः’

• यज्ञक्रिया: the ritual act of sacrifice
• यज्ञक्रिया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘यज्ञस्य क्रिया’

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः ‘especially’

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण ‘by which’

• वर्तन्ति: they proceed/exist
• वर्तन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘they exist/continue’

• भूतले: on the earth
• भूतले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण ‘on the earth’

Speaker

Devas addressing Dīrghikā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A ‘prājñā’ woman (pativratā figure)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of devas beseech a pativratā/wise woman; at her utterance, the Sun with sharp rays begins to rise, illuminating an altar where yajña fires are about to be rekindled; the earth below shows paused ritual activity awaiting dawn.

Characters & Entities

• Dīrghikā
• Sūrya (tīkṣṇa-dīdhiti)
• Yajña-kriyā
• Bhūtala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wisdom and virtue should serve the world: spiritual authority is best expressed by restoring the conditions for dharma and yajña to thrive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa; it implies a sacred setting (kṣetra) but does not name it here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It highlights the continuation of yajña-kriyā (sacrificial ritual activity) as the key religious function enabled by the Sun’s rising.