Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

तथा रौद्रतरे काले वृषस्थे दिवसाधिपे । ततः सार्थः समस्तश्च विश्रांतः स्थलमध्यगः

Transliteration

tathā raudratare kāle vṛṣasthe divasādhipe | tataḥ sārthaḥ samastaśca viśrāṃtaḥ sthalamadhyagaḥ

Translation

En ce temps plus brûlant encore, lorsque le Soleil —seigneur du jour— se tenait dans le Taureau, toute la caravane s’arrêta et se reposa, demeurant au milieu de la plaine.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, so
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: 'thus/so')

• रौद्रतरे: in the more terrible (state)
• रौद्रतरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्रतर (प्रातिपदिक; रौद्र + तर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषण (locative singular: 'in the more terrible')

• काले: in (that) time
• काले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कालवाचक (locative: 'at/in time')

• वृषस्थे: when (the sun) was in Taurus
• वृषस्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृषस्थ (प्रातिपदिक; वृष + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वृषे स्थितः)

• दिवसाधिपे: in the lord of the day (the sun)
• दिवसाधिपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवसाधिप (प्रातिपदिक; दिवस + अधिप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दिवसस्य अधिपः = सूर्यः)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (ablatival adverb: 'then/from there')

• सार्थः: the caravan, company of travelers
• सार्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• समस्तः: entire, whole
• समस्तः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with सार्थः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction: 'and')

• विश्रान्तः: rested
• विश्रान्तः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्रान्त (कृदन्त; √श्रम् (धातु) + वि + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle: 'rested')

• स्थलमध्यगः: having gone to the middle of the ground/area
• स्थलमध्यगः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थल-मध्य-ग (प्रातिपदिक; स्थल + मध्य + ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्थलस्य मध्ये गः = मध्यगतः)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A long caravan halted on open ground under a blazing sun; dust haze, drooping banners, animals and pilgrims seeking shade; the sun positioned high, suggesting Taurus-season heat.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human effort pauses before nature’s intensity; such moments often become the turning-points where divine aid through a tīrtha is revealed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it situates the story in a climactic season/time before the water-site is encountered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse gives temporal and situational setting (seasonal heat, caravan resting).