Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कलाः काष्ठानिमेषाश्च नक्षत्राणि ग्रहास्तथा । सांगा वेदास्तथा मूर्तास्तीर्थान्यायतनानि च

Transliteration

kalāḥ kāṣṭhānimeṣāśca nakṣatrāṇi grahāstathā | sāṃgā vedāstathā mūrtāstīrthānyāyatanāni ca

Translation

Dort waren auch die Einteilungen der Zeit—kalās, kāṣṭhās und nimeṣas—samt den Sternbildern und Planeten; die Veden mit ihren Hilfslehren (Vedāṅgas), die verkörperten Gestalten (Gottheiten) sowie auch die tīrthas und heiligen Wohnstätten.

Word by Word

• कलाः: kalās (parts/units of time)
• कलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• काष्ठाः: kāṣṭhās (time-units)
• काष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• निमेषाः: blinks/moments
• निमेषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• नक्षत्राणि: constellations
• नक्षत्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ग्रहाः: planets
• ग्रहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (also/likewise)

• साङ्गाः: with limbs/ancillaries
• साङ्गाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (also/likewise)

• मूर्ताः: forms/embodiments
• मूर्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तीर्थानि: sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आयतनानि: abodes/seats
• आयतनानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrthāni (collective) and Āyatanāni (sacred abodes) as cosmic presences

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: personified time-units as subtle luminous figures or a turning wheel; nakṣatras as a star-garland, grahas as radiant deities; Vedas as four seated sages or scrolls with halos; mūrtis as divine forms; tīrthas and āyatanas as miniature sacred landscapes/temples appearing within the hall.

Characters & Entities

• Kalā
• Kāṣṭhā
• Nimeṣa
• Nakṣatra
• Graha
• Veda
• Tīrtha
• Āyatana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic vision unites time, cosmos, scripture, deities, and sacred geography as living participants in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas in general are honored as present in the cosmic assembly; no single site is named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive cosmological list.