Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

व्रतचर्यामिषं कृत्वा सदा रहसि संस्थिता । संप्राप्ते दशमे मासि निशीथे समुपस्थिते । तस्याः कुमारको जातो वालार्कसदृशद्युतिः

Transliteration

vratacaryāmiṣaṃ kṛtvā sadā rahasi saṃsthitā | saṃprāpte daśame māsi niśīthe samupasthite | tasyāḥ kumārako jāto vālārkasadṛśadyutiḥ

Translation

Indem sie die Disziplinen ihres Gelübdes übte und stets im Verborgenen blieb, als der zehnte Monat kam und Mitternacht eingetreten war, gebar sie einen Knaben, dessen Glanz dem aufgehenden Sonnenlicht glich.

Word by Word

• व्रत-चर्या-अमिषम्: food (fit) for observance/vrata-practice
• व्रत-चर्या-अमिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'अमिष' = आहार/भोजन; समस्तपदम् कर्मरूपेण

• कृत्वा: having done/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक—“having done/made”

• सदा: always
• सदा: Temporal (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (always)

• रहसि: in secrecy, in private
• रहसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• संस्थिता: staying, remaining
• संस्थिता: Predicate adjective (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण—“remaining/standing”

• संप्राप्ते: when it had come
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी—“when (it) had arrived”

• दशमे: in the tenth
• दशमे: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् मासि

• मासि: month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• निशीथे: at midnight
• निशीथे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशीथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• समुपस्थिते: when it had arrived/was present
• समुपस्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उप + स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी—“when (it) was present” (agreeing with निशीथे)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कुमारकः: a boy, child
• कुमारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जातः: was born
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “born”

• वाल-अर्क-सदृश-द्युतिः: having a radiance like the young/rising sun
• वाल-अर्क-सदृश-द्युतिः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + सदृश (प्रातिपदिक) + द्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-समासः; विशेषणम् कुमारकस्य—“having radiance like the rising sun”

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Purāṇic narration to sages in a Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At midnight in a secluded hut or grove, the ascetic woman gives birth; the newborn boy emits dawn-like radiance (bālārka), illuminating the dark surroundings; attendants may be absent, emphasizing secrecy and miracle.

Characters & Entities

• Vrata (vow observance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vow-discipline and austerity are portrayed as sustaining dharma through crisis, culminating in an auspicious, radiant outcome.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it remains within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vratacaryā (observance of a vow’s disciplines) and living in seclusion are mentioned as practices.