Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

सर्वदा राक्षसेन्द्रोऽसौ शुभं रामेश्वरत्रयम् । त्रिकालं पूजयत्येव नियमं समुपाश्रितः

Transliteration

sarvadā rākṣasendro'sau śubhaṃ rāmeśvaratrayam | trikālaṃ pūjayatyeva niyamaṃ samupāśritaḥ

Translation

ആ രാക്ഷസരാജാവ് എപ്പോഴും ശുഭകരമായ രാമേശ്വരത്രയത്തെ വ്രതനിഷ്ഠയോടെ മൂന്നു നേരവും പൂജിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• राक्षसेन्द्रः: lord of the rākṣasas
• राक्षसेन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘राक्षसानाम् इन्द्रः’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• असौ: that one/he
• असौ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• शुभं: auspicious
• शुभं: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण

• रामेश्वरत्रयम्: the triad of Rāmeśvaras
• रामेश्वरत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामेश्वर + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: ‘रामेश्वराणां त्रयम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्रिकालं: at the three times (of day)
• त्रिकालं: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (क्रियाविशेषण)

• पूजयति: worships
• पूजयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• नियमं: rule/vow/discipline
• नियमं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समुपाश्रितः: having adopted/resorted to
• समुपाश्रितः: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-आ-श्रि (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आश्रित’ = having resorted to

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmeśvara-traya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vibhīṣaṇa, regal yet ascetic in demeanor, worships a triad of liṅgas across the day; three vignettes show dawn, midday, and night lamps, with the sea and Setu sands as backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Rāmeśvara
• Setu (Setubandha/Setukhaṇḍa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady discipline (niyama) and daily regular worship sanctify devotion, even for rulers and householders.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Setubandha associated with Rāmeśvara (Rāmeśvaram region) and its revered Rāmeśvara manifestations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Trikāla-pūjā—worship performed at the three daily junctions (morning, midday, and night).