Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

एवं चिंतयतस्तस्य बहुधा लक्ष्मणस्य सा । व्यतिक्रांता निशा विप्राः कृच्छ्रेण महता ततः

Transliteration

evaṃ ciṃtayatastasya bahudhā lakṣmaṇasya sā | vyatikrāṃtā niśā viprāḥ kṛcchreṇa mahatā tataḥ

Translation

Ainsi, tandis que Lakṣmaṇa méditait de bien des façons, ô brāhmanes, cette nuit s’écoula, non sans une grande peine.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• cintayataḥ: of him who was thinking
• cintayataḥ: Kālavācaka (Temporal circumstance)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु) → cintayat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; 'while thinking' (genitive absolute-like)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• bahudhā: in many ways
• bahudhā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahudhā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: in many ways)

• lakṣmaṇasya: of Lakṣmaṇa
• lakṣmaṇasya: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• sā: she/that (night)
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• vyatikrāntā: passed
• vyatikrāntā: Kriyā (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ati-√kram (धातु) → vyatikrānta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'passed' (agreeing with niśā)

• niśā: night
• niśā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• viprāḥ: O brāhmaṇas
• viprāḥ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे/उद्बोधन (address)

• kṛcchreṇa: with difficulty
• kṛcchreṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛcchra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारः

• mahatā: great
• mahatā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying kṛcchreṇa)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: then/thereafter)

Speaker

Narrator (addressing sages/brāhmaṇas)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A long, heavy night: Lakṣmaṇa seated or pacing, eyes reddened, gripping bow; the camp quiet; time conveyed by changing moon position; brāhmaṇas as narrative audience implied.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the mind battles dharma and adharma, time itself becomes burdensome; clarity comes through restraint and right resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter culminates in Gokarṇa’s sacred setting; this verse describes the lead-up.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative time-marker.