Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तेषां पानविधौ तत्र वर्तमाने महीपते । राहुर्विबुधरूपेण पपौ पीयूषमुत्सुकः

Transliteration

teṣāṃ pānavidhau tatra vartamāne mahīpate | rāhurvibudharūpeṇa papau pīyūṣamutsukaḥ

Translation

Während dort das Trinkritual im Gange war, o Herr der Erde, trank Rāhu, voller Begierde, den Nektar, indem er die Gestalt eines Gottes annahm.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पानविधौ: in the procedure of drinking
• पानविधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पानस्य विधिः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• वर्तमाने: while it was in progress
• वर्तमाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘while (it was) going on’

• महीपते: O king (lord of the earth)
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (महीयाः पतिः)

• राहुः: Rāhu
• राहुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विबुधरूपेण: in the form of a god
• विबुधरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विबुधस्य रूपम्)

• पपौ: drank
• पपौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पीयूषम्: nectar
• पीयूषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीयूष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• उत्सुकः: eager
• उत्सुकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying राहुः)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa-type narration within Māhātmya frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahīpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: During the solemn distribution of nectar, Rāhu—disguised as a deva—slips into the line and raises the nectar to his lips, eyes intent; devas remain focused on the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Rāhu
• Devas (implied)
• Pīyūṣa/Amṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred boons require eligibility; deception may seize a momentary gain but invites swift correction by divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references a “pāna-vidhi” (procedure of drinking) within the story, not a human ritual instruction.