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

他の神々の主たちのために地上に宮殿のごとき聖殿が建てられるように、人々もまた、夜の主たる月神のために宮殿寺院を建立する。

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.