Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

सामाद्यैर्विविधोपायैस्तस्मादेनं निवारय । कालात्ययो यथा न स्याद्गतेर्भंगस्तथा कुरु

Transliteration

sāmādyairvividhopāyaistasmādenaṃ nivāraya | kālātyayo yathā na syādgaterbhaṃgastathā kuru

Translation

„Darum halte ihn mit vielfältigen Mitteln zurück, beginnend mit Beschwichtigung. Handle so, dass keine Zeitverzögerung entsteht und unser Lauf nicht unterbrochen wird.“

Word by Word

• सामाद्यैः: by conciliation etc. (by the means beginning with sāma)
• सामाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामादि (प्रातिपदिक; साम+आदि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; ‘साम-दान-भेद-दण्ड’ इत्यादि उपायसमूहः (instrumental plural)

• विविध-उपायैः: by various means
• विविध-उपायैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक) + उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; ‘विविधाः उपायाः’ (instrumental plural)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे/तस्मादर्थे (therefore)

• एनम्: him/this one
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• निवारय: restrain (him)
• निवारय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+वृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (imperative: restrain/stop)

• काल-अत्ययः: a lapse of time / passing beyond the proper time
• काल-अत्ययः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अत्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘कालस्य अत्ययः’ (lapse/overstepping of time)

• यथा: so that
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (so that/as)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• स्यात्: may occur / should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आशीः), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (may be/should be)

• गतेः: of movement / of going
• गतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (of movement/going)

• भङ्गः: obstruction / disruption
• भङ्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (break/obstruction)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in that way)

• कुरु: do (it)
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (do)

Speaker

Bhāskara (Sūrya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Counselors urge immediate restraint of the ever-growing Vindhya using conciliatory measures so the journey and the sun’s course are not disrupted.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Vindhyācala (implied referent)
• Sāma-dāna-bheda-daṇḍa (policy methods, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma permits skillful means—starting with gentle conciliation—to prevent greater harm and preserve cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vindhyācala remains the geographic focus, as the episode frames the sacred landscape and its regulation by rṣi authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; practical dharma-upāyas (methods) such as sāma (conciliation) are recommended.