Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

माहेश्वरस्य विप्रेन्द्राः श्रूयतां गदतः स्फुटम् । निमेषस्य चतुर्भागस्त्रुटिः स्यात्तद्द्वयं लवः

Transliteration

māheśvarasya viprendrāḥ śrūyatāṃ gadataḥ sphuṭam | nimeṣasya caturbhāgastruṭiḥ syāttaddvayaṃ lavaḥ

Translation

ಹೇ ವಿಪ್ರಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠರೇ, ಮಹೇಶ್ವರನ ಕಾಲಮಾನವನ್ನು ನಾನು ಹೇಳುವುದನ್ನು ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ಕೇಳಿರಿ. ನಿಮೇಷದ ಚತುರ್ಥಾಂಶ ‘ತ್ರುಟಿ’; ಎರಡು ತ್ರುಟಿಗಳು ಸೇರಿ ‘ಲವ’ ಆಗುತ್ತದೆ.

Word by Word

• माहेश्वरस्य: of Māheśvara (Śiva-related)
• माहेश्वरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; महेश्वर-सम्बन्धिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विप्रेन्द्राः: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विप्राणाम् इन्द्राः)

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (let it be heard)

• गदतः: of (me) speaking
• गदतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गद् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present Participle, शतृ), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग (of the one speaking)

• स्फुटम्: clearly
• स्फुटम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्फुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• निमेषस्य: of a blink
• निमेषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• चतुर्भागः: a fourth part
• चतुर्भागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चतुर्णां भागः = one-fourth)

• त्रुटिः: a truṭi (unit of time)
• त्रुटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रुटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्यात्: would be/is said to be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्वयम्: a pair/twofold
• द्वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• लवः: a lava (unit of time)
• लवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seated sage addresses attentive brāhmaṇas, counting subtle time units with a rosary or finger-gestures; behind them a stylized cosmic wheel of time (kāla-cakra) and a faint liṅga emblem indicating Maheśvara’s order.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the smallest moments are ordered within sacred cosmology; dharma recognizes time as structured and meaningful, not random.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a kāla-māna teaching verse rather than a site-eulogy line; it supports correct timing of tirtha-related rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A definitional prescription: truṭi and lava are defined relative to nimeṣa, forming the foundation for later ritual timekeeping.