Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

तथा रौद्रतरे काले वृषस्थे दिवसाधिपे । ततः सार्थः समस्तश्च विश्रांतः स्थलमध्यगः

Transliteration

tathā raudratare kāle vṛṣasthe divasādhipe | tataḥ sārthaḥ samastaśca viśrāṃtaḥ sthalamadhyagaḥ

Translation

അത്യന്തം ദഹനകരമായ ആ സമയത്ത്, ദിനാധിപനായ സൂര്യൻ വൃഷഭരാശിയിൽ നിലകൊണ്ടപ്പോൾ, മുഴുവൻ കാരവാനും നിലത്തിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യഭാഗത്ത് നിർത്തി വിശ്രമിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, so
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: 'thus/so')

• रौद्रतरे: in the more terrible (state)
• रौद्रतरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्रतर (प्रातिपदिक; रौद्र + तर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषण (locative singular: 'in the more terrible')

• काले: in (that) time
• काले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कालवाचक (locative: 'at/in time')

• वृषस्थे: when (the sun) was in Taurus
• वृषस्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृषस्थ (प्रातिपदिक; वृष + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वृषे स्थितः)

• दिवसाधिपे: in the lord of the day (the sun)
• दिवसाधिपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवसाधिप (प्रातिपदिक; दिवस + अधिप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दिवसस्य अधिपः = सूर्यः)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (ablatival adverb: 'then/from there')

• सार्थः: the caravan, company of travelers
• सार्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• समस्तः: entire, whole
• समस्तः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with सार्थः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction: 'and')

• विश्रान्तः: rested
• विश्रान्तः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्रान्त (कृदन्त; √श्रम् (धातु) + वि + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle: 'rested')

• स्थलमध्यगः: having gone to the middle of the ground/area
• स्थलमध्यगः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थल-मध्य-ग (प्रातिपदिक; स्थल + मध्य + ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्थलस्य मध्ये गः = मध्यगतः)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A long caravan halted on open ground under a blazing sun; dust haze, drooping banners, animals and pilgrims seeking shade; the sun positioned high, suggesting Taurus-season heat.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human effort pauses before nature’s intensity; such moments often become the turning-points where divine aid through a tīrtha is revealed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it situates the story in a climactic season/time before the water-site is encountered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse gives temporal and situational setting (seasonal heat, caravan resting).