Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

अद्यैव विप्रशार्दूल चैत्रशुक्लांत उत्तमः । अपराह्णे निशानाथश्चित्रायोगं प्रयास्यति

Transliteration

adyaiva vipraśārdūla caitraśuklāṃta uttamaḥ | aparāhṇe niśānāthaścitrāyogaṃ prayāsyati

Translation

ഹേ വിപ്രശാർദൂലാ! ഇന്നുതന്നെ ചൈത്ര ശുക്ലപക്ഷത്തിന്റെ ഉത്തമാന്ത്യത്തിൽ, അപരാഹ്നത്തിൽ, നിശാനാഥനായ ചന്ദ്രൻ ചിത്രാ-യോഗത്തിലേക്ക് പ്രവേശിക്കും।

Word by Word

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विप्र-शार्दूल: O tiger among Brahmins
• विप्र-शार्दूल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘विप्राणां शार्दूलः’

• चैत्र-शुक्ल-अन्ते: at the end of the bright fortnight of Caitra
• चैत्र-शुक्ल-अन्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘चैत्रस्य शुक्लस्य अन्ते’ इति बहुपद-तत्पुरुष; अधिकरण

• उत्तमः: the excellent one / best
• उत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (श्रेष्ठः)

• अपराह्णे: in the afternoon
• अपराह्णे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराह्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• निशा-नाथः: the lord of night (the moon)
• निशा-नाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘निशायाः नाथः’ (moon)

• चित्रा-योगम्: the conjunction/connection with Citrā (nakṣatra)
• चित्रा-योगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘प्रयास्यति’ इत्यस्य कर्म; ‘चित्रायाः योगः’

• प्रयास्यति: will go/enter
• प्रयास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Bhagavān

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipraśārdūla (tiger among brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priestly figure announces the approaching Citrā-yoga; the sky shows the Moon moving toward a marked star; devotees arrange ritual items for afternoon rites at the tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Caitra
• Moon (Niśānātha)
• Citrā (nakṣatra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic practice aligns devotion with sacred time; knowing the proper astronomical moment is presented as part of dharma’s precision.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same tīrtha of Adhyāya 11; the verse supplies the calendrical cue that makes its rites especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It indicates the timing—afternoon when the Moon reaches Citrā—serving as the window for the associated snāna/śrāddha observances.