Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणान्नित्यं भ्रमामश्छिद्रहेतवे । प्राप्ते रात्रिमुखे राजन्न प्रातर्न च वासरे

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇānnityaṃ bhramāmaśchidrahetave | prāpte rātrimukhe rājanna prātarna ca vāsare

Translation

ಈ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದಲೇ ನಾವು ಸದಾ ಯಾವುದೋ ‘ಉಪಶಮನ-ಛಿದ್ರ’ವನ್ನು ಹುಡುಕುತ್ತಾ ಅಲೆದಾಡುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಹೇ ರಾಜನೇ! ರಾತ್ರಿ ಸಮೀಪಿಸಿದಾಗ ನಮಗೆ ಬೆಳಗ್ಗಿಲ್ಲ, ಹಗಲಿಲ್ಲ।

Word by Word

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान

• कारणात्: from the reason; because
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (accusative used adverbially) — ‘always’

• भ्रमामः: we wander
• भ्रमामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• छिद्रहेतवे: for the sake of an opening; to find a gap
• छिद्रहेतवे: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद्र + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (छिद्रस्य हेतु:) प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदान

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has come; upon arrival
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• रात्रिमुखे: at the beginning of night
• रात्रिमुखे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (रात्रेः मुखम् = beginning of night); सति-सप्तमी-सम्बद्ध

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• प्रातर्: in the morning
• प्रातर्: Sambandha (Time/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातर् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time) — ‘in the morning’

• न: nor
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• वासरे: in the daytime
• वासरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; काल-अधिकरण

Speaker

Preta(s) (departed spirits) addressing the king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims wander under a darkening sky, searching for a doorway/shelter; night advances, and the road seems endless—no sign of dawn—while a faint sacred light glimmers far away.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharma-less state leads to ceaseless restlessness; the text urges compassionate action and ritual care to grant peace to the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicitly named in this verse; it supports the broader tīrtha-māhātmya message of seeking sacred means of relief.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse implies the need for rites that end the preta’s wandering and restore auspicious order.