Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

एवमुक्ते तया वाक्ये स्तम्भितेऽर्के तमोमयम् । न च प्रजायते सर्वं निर्वषट्कारसत्क्रियम्

Transliteration

evamukte tayā vākye stambhite'rke tamomayam | na ca prajāyate sarvaṃ nirvaṣaṭkārasatkriyam

Translation

Als sie so sprach, wurde die Sonne angehalten, und alles wurde zu Dunkelheit. Nichts funktionierte ordnungsgemäß – es gab keine Vaṣaṭ-Rufe, keine heiligen Riten, keine angemessenen Bräuche.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Adverbial (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• उक्ते: when said
• उक्ते: Adhikarana (Locative circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन; ‘उक्ते’ = ‘when/after (it was) said’

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वाक्ये: in the statement/words
• वाक्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन

• स्तम्भिते: when stopped
• स्तम्भिते: Adhikarana (Locative circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तम्भ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन; ‘stambhite’ = ‘when (it was) stopped’

• अर्के: in/with the Sun (being)
• अर्के: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन

• तमोमयम्: consisting of darkness
• तमोमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc., 1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘तमोमय’ = ‘made of darkness’

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रजायते: is produced/comes into being
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन; ‘everything’

• निर्वषट्कारसत्क्रियम्: devoid of vaṣaṭ-calls and sacred rites
• निर्वषट्कारसत्क्रियम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + वषट्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc., 1st/2nd), एकवचन; नञ्/निरर्थक-भाव (absence) सूचक; ‘without vaṣaṭ-calls and proper rites’

Speaker

Narrator (within Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya’s discourse contextually, though not explicit in this verse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (frame implied by surrounding address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sun stands immobilized; a blanket of darkness covers settlements; fire-altars sit cold; priests fall silent—no vaṣaṭ resounds; daily rites stall across the world.

Characters & Entities

• Arka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic stability and ritual life are interconnected in Purāṇic thought; when order collapses, dharmic rites also cease.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) narrative framework continues; the verse emphasizes universal ritual breakdown rather than a single site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references the absence of vaṣaṭkāra and satkriyā—key markers of functioning Vedic rites.