Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 141

Devanagari script

सुप्रभातं सुनक्षत्रं पूर्वमासीद्धृथैव तत् । एवं बहुविधालापे पलादानां ततस्ततः

Transliteration

suprabhātaṃ sunakṣatraṃ pūrvamāsīddhṛthaiva tat | evaṃ bahuvidhālāpe palādānāṃ tatastataḥ

Translation

ಮೊದಲು ಪ್ರಕಾಶಮಾನವಾದ ಪ್ರಭಾತವೂ ಶುಭ ನಕ್ಷತ್ರಗಳೂ ಇದ್ದವು; ಆದರೂ ಆ ಶುಭಲಕ್ಷಣವೂ ವ್ಯರ್ಥವಾಗಿ ಉಳಿಯಿತು. ಹೀಗೆ ನಾನಾವಿಧ ಮಾತುಕತೆಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ಪಲಾದಾನರ ಗುಂಪುಗಳು ಇತ್ತಿಚ್ಚೆ ಸಂಚರಿಸಿದವು.

Word by Word

• सुप्रभातम्: a very good morning
• सुप्रभातम्: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘सु-प्रभातम्’ = very good morning; वाक्ये विधेय-भावे

• सुनक्षत्रम्: an auspicious constellation
• सुनक्षत्रम्: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + नक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘सु-नक्षत्रम्’ = good constellation/auspicious star

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/before)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतन-भूत/इम्परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धृत: held/maintained
• धृत: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘धृतम्’ (held/maintained)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संकेत/अन्वय

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Adhikarana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/in this manner)

• बहुविधालापे: in various kinds of talk
• बहुविधालापे: Adhikarana (Location/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुविध + आलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘बहुविधः आलापः’ इति कर्मधारय-प्रायः

• पलादानाम्: of the Palādas (a group/people)
• पलादानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ततः: thereafter/from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Source/Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (from there/thereafter)

• ततः: again and again/then and then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्त-अव्यय (repetition for distributive sense)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (contextual attribution for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bright dawn with auspicious stars overhead, yet below, restless hosts move about amid many kinds of talk; the sky’s serenity contrasts with the ground’s moral disorder.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious signs alone do not guarantee success; dharma, right means, and divine alignment determine outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse continues the narrative setting and mood.