Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

यज्ञकार्यं निवृत्याशु वदंति विविधाः सुराः

Transliteration

yajñakāryaṃ nivṛtyāśu vadaṃti vividhāḥ surāḥ

Translation

Ayant promptement interrompu l’accomplissement du yajña, les divers dieux se mirent à parler entre eux.

Word by Word

• यज्ञकार्यं: the sacrificial work
• यज्ञकार्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘sacrifice-work/ritual duty’)

• निवृत्य: having stopped/withdrawn
• निवृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (Gerund/Absolutive) ‘having ceased/withdrawn’; रूपम्—निवृत्य

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: शीघ्रार्थक-अव्यय (adverb)

• वदन्ति: they speak
• वदन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• विविधाः: various, diverse
• विविधाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (सुराः-विशेषण)

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Vyāsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yajña scene halted: priests and devas stand in a circle, offerings set aside, flames subdued; the gods converse in concern.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Yajña (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual is subordinate to dharma; when a greater disorder arises, one must first restore right order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Only the contextual act of stopping yajña is implied; no specific vidhi (procedure) is detailed.