Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 186

Devanagari script

मुहूर्तमपि यो विघ्नं करोति च महोत्सवे । तस्य पापस्य नो संख्या कर्तुं शक्या हि केनचित्

Transliteration

muhūrtamapi yo vighnaṃ karoti ca mahotsave | tasya pāpasya no saṃkhyā kartuṃ śakyā hi kenacit

Translation

«Mais celui qui, ne fût-ce qu’un seul muhūrta, suscite un empêchement durant une grande fête, nul ne peut mesurer l’étendue de son péché.»

Word by Word

• मुहूर्तम्: a moment; a short time
• मुहूर्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular (object/time-extent)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), अर्थः ‘even/also’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, nominative singular

• विघ्नम्: obstacle; hindrance
• विघ्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• करोति: does; causes
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, 3rd sg

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• महोत्सवे: in the great festival
• महोत्सवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महोत्सव (प्रातिपदिक: महा+उत्सव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• तस्य: of him; his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• पापस्य: of the sin
• पापस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• नः: not
• नः: Sambandha/Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• संख्या: count; number
• संख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• कर्तुम्: to make; to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अर्थः ‘to do/make’

• शक्या: possible; able to be done
• शक्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √शक्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle used adjectivally; agrees with ‘संख्या’

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/हेतु-निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• केनचित्: by anyone
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चित (indefinite) ‘by anyone’

Speaker

Suvrata

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crowded tīrtha-festival: pilgrims moving toward a ghat/temple; one person blocks the way, causing distress; priests and devotees gesture to restore order; the atmosphere is charged with sacred urgency.

Characters & Entities

• Suvrata
• mahotsava (great festival)
• Śiva-temple context (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supporting sacred festivals is dharma; disrupting them is a grave aparādha with vast negative karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The festival is understood within the local Śaiva tīrtha setting of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative, emphasizing the sanctity of temple mahotsavas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not create vighna (obstacles) during mahotsava; instead, one should assist and protect the rite and celebration.