Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

यथान्येषां सुरेन्द्राणां हर्म्याणि धरणीतले । क्रियन्ते रात्रिनाथस्य तद्वत्कुर्वंति मानवाः

Transliteration

yathānyeṣāṃ surendrāṇāṃ harmyāṇi dharaṇītale | kriyante rātrināthasya tadvatkurvaṃti mānavāḥ

Translation

De même que l’on bâtit sur la terre des sanctuaires semblables à des palais pour d’autres seigneurs parmi les dieux, ainsi les hommes édifient-ils un temple-palais pour le Seigneur de la Nuit, la Lune.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (comparative conjunction)

• अन्येषाम्: of other
• अन्येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘of others’

• सुरेन्द्राणाम्: of the lords of gods
• सुरेन्द्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘सुराणाम् इन्द्राः’ = kings of gods

• हर्म्याणि: palaces
• हर्म्याणि: Karma (Object; in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• धरणीतले: on the earth’s surface
• धरणीतले: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘धरण्याः तलम्’ = on the surface of the earth

• क्रियन्ते: are made/built
• क्रियन्ते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• रात्रिनाथस्य: of the lord of the night
• रात्रिनाथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘रात्र्याः नाथः’ = lord of the night (Moon/Soma)

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (comparative adverb) = ‘in the same way’

• कुर्वन्ति: do/make
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मानवाः: humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Niśānātha/Soma-prāsāda site (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/dvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Artisans and devotees construct a grand prāsāda for Niśānātha; carved pillars, rising śikhara, and a moon-emblem atop; donors offer materials; the scene is set under a calm night sky.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Rātrinātha)
• Suras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Building sacred structures for divine worship is a dharmic act; Candra too is honored with such consecrated spaces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Candra-centered sacred setting is implied; the focus is on constructing a Candra-prāsāda as part of tīrtha culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The meritorious act of building a harmya/prāsāda (palace-temple) for Candra.