Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

ततोऽसौ चिन्तयामास दुःशीलो निजचेतसि । मठे तावत्प्रवेशोऽस्ति नैव रात्रौ कथंचन

Transliteration

tato'sau cintayāmāsa duḥśīlo nijacetasi | maṭhe tāvatpraveśo'sti naiva rātrau kathaṃcana

Translation

Alors cet homme de mauvaise nature trama en son for intérieur : «Entrer dans le monastère n’est possible que jusqu’à un certain point ; mais la nuit, cela n’est possible d’aucune manière.»

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अपादानार्थ/क्रम; then/thereupon

• असौ: he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Pronoun (that man/he)

• चिन्तयामास: thought
• चिन्तयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cintay (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्ष/भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; Perfect (he thought/pondered)

• दुःशीलः: ill-natured
• दुःशीलः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥśīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; दुः+शील (bad-natured) used adjectivally

• निज: own
• निज: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषसम्बन्धे (पूर्वपद), एकवचन; own (as prior member)

• चेतसि: in (his) mind
• चेतसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; निजचेतसि = in his own mind

• मठे: in the monastery
• मठे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular (in the monastery)

• तावत्: so far/at least
• तावत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), परिमाण/सीमा; so far/only thus much

• प्रवेशः: entry
• प्रवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; Present indicative (is/exists)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular (at night)

• कथंचन: in any way
• कथंचन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), निषेध-सह; in any way/at all

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shadowy, ill-disposed man stands outside a high stone maṭha at dusk, eyes narrowed in calculation, while the monastery gate and walls loom as symbols of protected sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Maṭha (monastery)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When character is corrupted, the mind turns even sacred spaces into targets for wrongdoing; dharma requires inner restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified; the verse mentions a maṭha as the immediate setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes conditions of entry and the person’s scheming.