Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

निःशेषां रजनीं प्राप्य माघमाससमुद्भवाम् । आस्तां तावत्स्त्रियो याश्च नरा अपि निरर्गलम्

Transliteration

niḥśeṣāṃ rajanīṃ prāpya māghamāsasamudbhavām | āstāṃ tāvatstriyo yāśca narā api nirargalam

Translation

Quand la nuit entière se fut écoulée—celle du mois de Māgha—femmes et hommes demeurèrent ainsi, sans aucune retenue.

Word by Word

• निःशेषाम्: entire/complete
• निःशेषाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niḥśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying rajanīm)

• रजनीम्: night
• रजनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राप्य: having reached/after attaining
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• माघमाससमुद्भवाम्: arising in the month of Māgha
• माघमाससमुद्भवाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māgha (प्रातिपदिक) + māsa (प्रातिपदिक) + samudbhavā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying rajanīm)

• आस्ताम्: let (them) be / so be it
• आस्ताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual); प्रयोगः—'let there be/so be it'

• तावत्: for that long/for the time being
• तावत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-बोधक (adverb: 'so much/for the time being')

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• याः: who/which (women)
• याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Emphasis/Addition
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (also/even)

• निरर्गलम्: without restraint/freely
• निरर्गलम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nirargala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-विशेषणवत् अव्यय (adverbial use); क्रियाविशेषण (manner)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A long Māgha night unfolds; men and women remain in an unrestrained, spellbound state—lamps burning low, shadows lengthening, the town suspended in a collective trance.

Characters & Entities

• Māgha (month)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames the episode within sacred time (Māgha), a Purāṇic reminder that powerful human impulses unfold within—and should be guided by—dharma and auspicious observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights sacred time (Māgha) rather than naming a particular tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription appears here, though Māgha commonly signals snāna/vrata contexts in māhātmya literature.