Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सलज्जो रात्रिनायकः । प्रोवाचाधोमुखो दक्षं प्रकरिष्ये वचस्तव

Transliteration

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā salajjo rātrināyakaḥ | provācādhomukho dakṣaṃ prakariṣye vacastava

Translation

Mendengar kata-katanya, Penguasa Malam pun merasa malu; dengan wajah tertunduk ia berkata kepada Dakṣa, “Aku akan melaksanakan titahmu.”

Word by Word

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; ‘of him’

• tad-vacanam: that statement
• tad-vacanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad-vacana (प्रातिपदिक: तत् + वचन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: ‘that speech/statement’

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having heard’

• sa-lajjaḥ: ashamed
• sa-lajjaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-lajja (प्रातिपदिक: स + लज्जा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘with shame’

• rātri-nāyakaḥ: lord of the night
• rātri-nāyakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri-nāyaka (प्रातिपदिक: रात्रि + नायक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: रात्रेः नायकः

• provāca: said / spoke
• provāca: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• adhaḥ-mukhaḥ: with face lowered
• adhaḥ-mukhaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhaḥ-mukha (प्रातिपदिक: अधः + मुख)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘down-faced’

• dakṣam: to Dakṣa
• dakṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• prakariṣye: I shall do / I will carry out
• prakariṣye: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• vacaḥ: word, command
• vacaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; 2nd person pronoun genitive

Speaker

Rātrināyaka (Chandra/Soma)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Candra, radiant yet ashamed, lowers his face and speaks softly to Dakṣa, promising to do as commanded; Dakṣa stands firm but receptive.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Rātrināyaka (Chandra/Soma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acknowledging fault and submitting to dharma-based correction is presented as the first step toward restoring harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it records acceptance of dharmic instruction.