Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

सांप्रतं व्रतकालस्ते वर्षं चैवाष्टमं स्थितम् । तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य लज्जयाऽधोमुखः स्थितः

Transliteration

sāṃprataṃ vratakālaste varṣaṃ caivāṣṭamaṃ sthitam | tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya lajjayā'dhomukhaḥ sthitaḥ

Translation

Nun ist die Zeit deines Vrata (heiligen Gelübdes) gekommen, und auch dein achtes Jahr ist vollendet. Als er seine Worte hörte, stand er da, das Gesicht gesenkt, von Scham überwältigt.

Word by Word

• सांप्रतम्: now
• सांप्रतम्: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: now/at present)

• व्रतकालः: the time of the vow
• व्रतकालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समास: व्रतस्य कालः

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• वर्षम्: year
• वर्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunctive particle)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (restrictive/emphatic particle: indeed/just)

• अष्टमम्: eighth
• अष्टमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• स्थितम्: completed/elapsed; standing
• स्थितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (prior action)

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of him/of that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• लज्जया: with shame/out of shame
• लज्जया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लज्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• अधोमुखः: down-faced
• अधोमुखः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधस् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम्; समास: अधोमुख (down-faced)

• स्थितः: stood/remained
• स्थितः: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youth at the cusp of discipline: head bowed, hands folded; an elder announces the arrival of vrata-time; atmosphere of solemn initiation.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• vrata (observance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes timely observances; humility naturally arises when one confronts one’s life-story and duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vrata is indicated as due; the specific rite details are not given in this line.