Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । यदेतद्भवता प्रोक्तमीशानस्य महीपतेः । ईश्वरेण पुरा दत्तमायुर्यावत्स्ववासरम्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | yadetadbhavatā proktamīśānasya mahīpateḥ | īśvareṇa purā dattamāyuryāvatsvavāsaram

Translation

Die Weisen sprachen: „Was du über Īśāna — den herrscherlichen Gebieter — verkündet hast, nämlich die Lebensspanne, die Īśvara ihm einst bis zum Maß seines eigenen ‚Tages‘ verlieh … berichte uns weiter.“

Word by Word

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

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोक्तम्: told/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘said/told’

• ईशानस्य: of Īśāna (Śiva)
• ईशानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• महीपतेः: of the king (lord of earth)
• महीपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ईश्वरेण: by the Lord
• ईश्वरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; ‘given’

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• यावत्: as long as / up to
• यावत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/परिमाणवाचक)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (limit/extent marker)

• स्ववासरम्: one’s own day (a full day)
• स्ववासरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘स्वः’ इति विशेषणं ‘वासरम्’ इति विशेष्यं)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (to respond)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest āśrama: seated sages in a semicircle question the narrator; a palm-leaf manuscript and water-pot nearby; the atmosphere is contemplative, hinting at vast cosmic cycles beyond the hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna
• Īśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred texts frame time as divine and hierarchical; understanding ‘the Lord’s day’ elevates the listener from ordinary time to cosmic perspective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse shifts into doctrinal explanation (kāla-māna) within the Tīrthamāhātmya; the site-context belongs to Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s ongoing pilgrimage narration rather than a single named tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it initiates a question that leads into teaching about time-measures relevant to vrata timing and auspicious observance.