Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

माध्यंदिनं कर्तुमना ययौ शंकरमंदिरात् । तानृषीनवलोक्याथ रामास्ता भयकातराः

Transliteration

mādhyaṃdinaṃ kartumanā yayau śaṃkaramaṃdirāt | tānṛṣīnavalokyātha rāmāstā bhayakātarāḥ

Translation

മധ്യാഹ്നകർമ്മം ചെയ്യുവാൻ ഉദ്ദേശിച്ച് അവൻ ശങ്കരമന്ദിരത്തിൽ നിന്ന് പുറത്തേക്കു പോയി. എന്നാൽ ആ ഋഷിമാരെ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ ആ സ്ത്രീകൾ ഭയത്താൽ വിറച്ചു കലങ്ങി.

Word by Word

• माध्यन्दिनम्: midday rite (noon worship)
• माध्यन्दिनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माध्यन्दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to do, to perform
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive)

• अना: for the purpose of
• अना: Prayojana (Purpose marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अना (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अर्थक/साधनवाचक-अव्यय; here in compound-like usage with कर्तुम् (kartumanā = कर्तुम् + अना)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• शंकर-मन्दिरात्: from Śaṅkara's temple
• शंकर-मन्दिरात्: Apādāna (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शंकरस्य मन्दिरात्)

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ऋषीन्: sages
• ऋषीन्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अवलोक्य: having seen
• अवलोक्य: Pūrvakāla (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + √लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय (conjunctive particle)

• रामाः: women
• रामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (referring to rāmāḥ)

• भय-कातराः: distressed with fear
• भय-कातराः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + कातर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तृतीया/हेतु-तत्पुरुष (भयेन कातराः)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hālāsya-nātha tīrtha / Śaṅkara-mandira precinct

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śiva temple doorway opens; a figure steps out intending madhyāhna rite; nearby, women at the water’s edge suddenly cover themselves and recoil as they notice approaching sages.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Temple of Śaṅkara
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular rites like the midday observance mark a dharmic life, and the presence of sages in a holy place evokes conscience and accountability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkara’s temple within the Hālāsya sacred complex (contextually tied to Hālāsya-nātha and his tīrtha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The mādhyandina (midday rite) is referenced as a traditional daily observance.