Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 153

Devanagari script

एवं रात्रिंदिवं तस्य चिन्तयानस्य भूपतेः । लोकापवादयुक्तस्य कियान्कालोऽभ्यवर्तत

Transliteration

evaṃ rātriṃdivaṃ tasya cintayānasya bhūpateḥ | lokāpavādayuktasya kiyānkālo'bhyavartata

Translation

So grübelte jener König Tag und Nacht, beladen mit dem Gerede und der Verleumdung der Leute—und wie viel Zeit verstrich dabei.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb)

• rātriṃ-divam: day and night
• rātriṃ-divam: Adhikarana (time: day and night)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक) + diva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (rātriśca diva ca); अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; द्वितीया एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत्

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (genitive: of him)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• cintayānasya: of (him) who was thinking
• cintayānasya: Sambandha (qualifying genitive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु) + śānac (शानच्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तम्; पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्; "while thinking" (genitive absolute-like with tasya)

• bhūpateḥ: of the king
• bhūpateḥ: Sambandha (genitive apposition to tasya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (bhūmeḥ patiḥ = king); पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्

• lokāpavāda-yuktasya: of (him) afflicted with public reproach
• lokāpavāda-yuktasya: Sambandha (qualifier in genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + apavāda (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (lokasya apavādaḥ; tena yuktaḥ); पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (bhūpateḥ)

• kiyān: how much/how long
• kiyān: Visheshana (qualifier of kālaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kiyat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; प्रश्नार्थक/परिमाणवाचक

• kālaḥ: time
• kālaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• abhyavartata: passed/elapsed
• abhyavartata: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king paces or sits sleepless, day turning to night, haunted by whispers of slander; lamps burn low, and the palace feels oppressive.

Characters & Entities

• bhūpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For rulers especially, public reproach becomes a heavy burden; dharma requires timely resolution through सत्य (truth) and proper rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; the narrative arc proceeds toward Brahmasthāna as the place where doubt is removed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes the king’s prolonged worry.