Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

नक्तं दिनं महाराज नान्यत्किंचित्करोति सः । न तथा तपसे यत्नो न नैवेद्ये कथंचन

Transliteration

naktaṃ dinaṃ mahārāja nānyatkiṃcitkaroti saḥ | na tathā tapase yatno na naivedye kathaṃcana

Translation

O großer König, bei Nacht und bei Tag tat er überhaupt nichts anderes. Weder bemühte er sich um Askese (tapas), noch brachte er in irgendeiner Weise Naivedya, Speiseopfer, dar.

Word by Word

• नक्तम्: at night
• नक्तम्: Kālādhi karaṇa (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nakta (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time): ‘by night/at night’

• दिनम्: by day / during the day
• दिनम्: Kālādhi karaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचन; कालवाचक-उपपदप्रयोगः (as time-accusative)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘महान् राजा’

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• किंचित्: something, anything
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

• करोति: does
• करोति: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

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

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• तथा: so, thus, to that extent
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (in that manner/so much)

• तपसे: for austerity
• तपसे: Sampradāna (Recipient/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• यत्नः: effort
• यत्नः: Karta/Viṣaya (Topic/subject of nominal clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• नैवेद्ये: in/with food-offering (naivedya)
• नैवेद्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naivedya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कथंचन: in any way at all
• कथंचन: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चित-प्रकारवाचक (in any way/at all)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic storyteller within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Acaleśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king) addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Day and night cycle around the temple: the king continuously circles the shrine, lamps at night, sunlight by day, creating a visual mandala of devotion; other ritual items (food offerings, ascetic gear) lie unused.

Characters & Entities

• King Veṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed devotion can take the form of one steady practice; here, pradakṣiṇā is emphasized over other observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practice is in the context of Acaleśvara in Arbuda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies prioritizing continuous pradakṣiṇā; it also notes the absence of tapas and naivedya in his routine.