Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु मेनका च वराप्सराः । वसंतसमये प्राप्ता मर्त्यलोके यदृच्छया

Transliteration

etasminneva kāle tu menakā ca varāpsarāḥ | vasaṃtasamaye prāptā martyaloke yadṛcchayā

Translation

Zu eben jener Zeit kam Menakā, die vortreffliche Apsarā, zufällig in der Frühlingszeit in die Welt der Sterblichen.

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (Particle; emphasis ‘just/indeed’)

• काले: at (that) time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तु: but / then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (Particle; contrast)

• मेनका: Menakā
• मेनका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेनका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (Conjunction)

• वराप्सराः: excellent apsarases
• वराप्सराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरा + अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (‘excellent’ + ‘apsarases’)

• वसंतसमये: in the spring season
• वसंतसमये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसन्त + समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘of spring’ + ‘season/time’)

• प्राप्ता: arrived
• प्राप्ता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √आप् (आप्) (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियार्थे (finite sense: ‘arrived’)

• मर्त्यलोके: in the mortal world
• मर्त्यलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘of mortals’ + ‘world’)

• यदृच्छया: by chance / accidentally
• यदृच्छया: Karana (Manner/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (adverbial: by chance)

Speaker

Narrator (Brāhmaṇa Vatsa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unnamed interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Menakā, radiant and adorned, descends into the mortal world amid springtime blossoms, signaling an impending test for the learned brāhmaṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Menakā
• Apsaras
• Vasanta (spring)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives often place spiritual tests amid alluring settings; the arrival of an apsaras signals a coming trial of restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces the narrative scene; the tīrtha’s identity and glory are clarified by the broader Adhyāya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated in this verse.