Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

लक्ष्मण उवाच । व्यग्रः स पार्थिवश्रेष्ठो देवकार्येण केनचित् । तस्मादत्रैव विप्रेंद्र मुहूर्तं परिपालय

Transliteration

lakṣmaṇa uvāca | vyagraḥ sa pārthivaśreṣṭho devakāryeṇa kenacit | tasmādatraiva vipreṃdra muhūrtaṃ paripālaya

Translation

Lakṣmaṇa sprach: „Jener beste der Könige ist mit einer göttlichen Aufgabe beschäftigt; darum, o erhabenster der Brāhmaṇas, verweile hier nur einen Augenblick.“

Word by Word

• लक्ष्मणः: Lakṣmaṇa
• लक्ष्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• व्यग्रः: busy/agitated
• व्यग्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of सः/पार्थिवश्रेष्ठः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पार्थिवश्रेष्ठः: the best of kings
• पार्थिवश्रेष्ठः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पार्थिवानां श्रेष्ठः)

• देवकार्येण: by/with a task of the gods
• देवकार्येण: Karana (Instrument/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां कार्यम्)

• केनचित्: by some (matter)
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite) ‘by some’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘therefore’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: here)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Niyama (Emphasis/नियम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विप्रेन्द्र: O best of brāhmaṇas
• विप्रेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (विप्रः एव इन्द्रः)

• मुहूर्तम्: for a moment
• मुहूर्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण

• परिपालय: wait/please stay
• परिपालय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lakṣmaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Durvāsā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lakṣmaṇa, composed and respectful, addresses Durvāsā with folded hands, explaining Rāma’s engagement in divine duty and requesting a brief wait; tension is softened by etiquette.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Durvāsā (implied listener)
• Rāma (implied: pārthivaśreṣṭha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma can present competing obligations; the verse dramatizes the delicate balance between divine duty and immediate hospitality to sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request to wait (muhūrta) during a divine engagement.