Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

गच्छ शक्र समानीहि कन्यां कांचित्त्वरान्वितः । यावन्न क्रमते कालो यज्ञयानसमुद्भवः

Transliteration

gaccha śakra samānīhi kanyāṃ kāṃcittvarānvitaḥ | yāvanna kramate kālo yajñayānasamudbhavaḥ

Translation

«Va, ô Śakra, et ramène au plus vite quelque jeune fille, avant que ne s’écoule l’instant propice, né du rite sacrificiel.»

Word by Word

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शक्र: O Śakra
• शक्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• सम्: together/fully (preverb)
• सम्: Verb modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb)

• आनय: bring
• आनय: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इह: here
• इह: Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कन्याम्: a maiden
• कन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• काञ्चित्: some (one)
• काञ्चित्: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-विशेषण (indefinite: some)

• त्वरा: with haste
• त्वरा: Instrumental in compound
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• अन्वितः: endowed with, accompanied by
• अन्वितः: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वि (धातु) + क्त (कृत्प्रत्यय) → अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied त्वम्/शक्रः)

• यावत्: until, as long as
• यावत्: Clause linker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative: as long as/until)

• न: not
• न: Modifier (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• क्रमते: passes, proceeds
• क्रमते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कालः: time
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यज्ञयानसमुद्भवः: arising from the sacrificial vehicle/rite (i.e., the time arising from the yajña-journey)
• यज्ञयानसमुद्भवः: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञ + यान + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of कालः)

Speaker

Brahmā (Caturānana/Pitāmaha), inferred from immediate context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā issues a crisp directive to Indra: fetch a maiden immediately; the yajña pavilion and the sense of a slipping auspicious moment dominate the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes acting promptly in sacred duties; the right ritual time (kāla) is itself a form of auspicious power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya context; the specific tīrtha is developed in the surrounding passage (not named in this single verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A time-sensitive yajña-related requirement: Indra must bring a maiden promptly before the appointed ritual moment passes.