Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा निद्रयाविष्टा चरणाक्रांतमूर्धजा । दिवा सुप्ता दितिर्देवी भाव्यर्थबलनोदिता

Transliteration

ityuktvā nidrayāviṣṭā caraṇākrāṃtamūrdhajā | divā suptā ditirdevī bhāvyarthabalanoditā

Translation

So sprechend wurde die Göttin Diti vom Schlaf überwältigt; ihr Haar wurde auf dem Scheitel von einem Fuß niedergedrückt. Am Tage schlief sie, angetrieben von der Macht des künftigen Geschicks.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyopasaṃhāra (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) from √vac; ‘having said’

• nidrayā: by sleep
• nidrayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• āviṣṭā: overcome (by)
• āviṣṭā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-viṣṭa (कृदन्त; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त from √viś ‘to enter’ with उपसर्ग ā-; ‘overcome/possessed’

• caraṇa-ākrānta-mūrdhajā: whose hair was pressed down by (his) feet
• caraṇa-ākrānta-mūrdhajā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ākrānta (कृदन्त) + mūrdhajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘चरणेन आक्रान्ताः मूर्धजाः यस्याः’ (whose head-hairs were pressed by the feet)

• divā: by day, in daytime
• divā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: divā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• suptā: slept/asleep
• suptā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: supta (कृदन्त; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त from √svap ‘to sleep’; ‘asleep’

• ditiḥ: Diti
• ditiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• devī: the goddess
• devī: Apposition (Sāmānādhikaraṇya/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपाधि/विशेषणरूपेण

• bhāvya-artha-bala-noditā: impelled by the force of destiny/purpose
• bhāvya-artha-bala-noditā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāvya (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक) + noditā (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: ‘भाव्यस्य अर्थस्य बलात् नोदिता’ (impelled by the force of destined purpose)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (assembly of sages in frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Diti, after speaking, falls into a fated daytime sleep; her hair is pressed under a foot—an ominous sign of intrusion and vulnerability before the impending act.

Characters & Entities

• Diti
• Sleep (Nidrā)
• Destiny (Bhāvya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even strong resolve can be overtaken when destiny ripens; vigilance is part of dharmic discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader episode remains tied to Puṣkara as the place of observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied caution within vrata-practice: avoid lapses (such as untimely sleep) that break discipline.