Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदुत्तरतः स्थितः । उदयार्थं रविं यान्तं निरुन्धन्ति च दारुणाः

Transliteration

yadyadācarati śreṣṭhastattaduttarataḥ sthitaḥ | udayārthaṃ raviṃ yāntaṃ nirundhanti ca dāruṇāḥ

Translation

Ce que pratique le meilleur des êtres, ceux qui se tiennent derrière suivent cette même conduite; et des êtres farouches entravent le Soleil lorsqu’il s’avance pour se lever.

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; यत्-सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः (yad-yad)

• आचरति: does/practices
• आचरति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√car (चर्)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

• श्रेष्ठः: the best (person)
• श्रेष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः (tat-tat)

• उत्तरतः: to the north / afterwards
• उत्तरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uttaratas (अव्यय)
• Form: दिक्/स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: to the north/afterwards)

• स्थितः: standing/placed
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (स्था) (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• उदयार्थम्: for (his) rising
• उदयार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: udaya-artha (प्रातिपदिक; उदय + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; प्रयोजनार्थे (accusative of purpose) ‘for the rising’

• रविम्: the Sun
• रविम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ravi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• यान्तम्: going
• यान्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √yā (या) (कृदन्त; शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present participle)

• निरुन्धन्ति: they obstruct/stop
• निरुन्धन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√rudh (रुध्)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दारुणाः: cruel/terrible (ones)
• दारुणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Śiva (Mahādeva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respected elder performs sandhyā at the front; behind him a line of people imitates; above, fierce shadowy beings attempt to block the Sun at the horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Sūrya (Ravi)
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma spreads through exemplars: when the noble uphold ritual order, society follows and cosmic harmony is protected.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as a general tīrtha-māhātmya teaching about dharma and Sandhyā’s cosmic role, without a named location in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An indirect prescription: uphold Sandhyā-related conduct so that others emulate it, countering forces that obstruct auspicious order.