Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

तत्र मर्त्यैः क्रिया सर्वाः क्रियते न मखोद्भवाः । यस्मात्स यज्ञपुरुषो न सुप्तो भागमश्नुते

Transliteration

tatra martyaiḥ kriyā sarvāḥ kriyate na makhodbhavāḥ | yasmātsa yajñapuruṣo na supto bhāgamaśnute

Translation

ആ സമയത്ത് മനുഷ്യർ നിത്യ-നൈമിത്തിക കർമ്മങ്ങൾ എല്ലാം ചെയ്യാം; എന്നാൽ മഖോത്ഭവമായ മഹായജ്ഞങ്ങൾ നടത്തപ്പെടുകയില്ല, കാരണം യജ്ഞപുരുഷനായ ഭഗവാൻ ശയനത്തിൽ ഇരിക്കുമ്പോൾ തന്റെ ഭാഗം സ്വീകരിക്കുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• मर्त्यैः: by mortals
• मर्त्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental plural

• क्रियाः: rites, actions
• क्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन — Feminine, Nominative plural

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — Feminine, Nominative plural; विशेषण (qualifier)

• क्रियते: is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — Present indicative, 3rd person singular, Atmanepada; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — indeclinable negation particle

• मखोद्भवाः: those arising from sacrifices
• मखोद्भवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative plural; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (मखात् उद्भवाः = sacrifices-born)

• यस्मात्: because (from which reason)
• यस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — Ablative singular of pronoun; हेतु-अर्थे (because)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular; सर्वनाम

• यज्ञपुरुषः: the Sacrificial Person (Yajña-Puruṣa)
• यज्ञपुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यज्ञस्य पुरुषः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — indeclinable negation particle

• सुप्तः: asleep
• सुप्तः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (कृदन्त; √स्वप्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Past participle, Masculine nominative singular; विशेषण

• भागम्: a share, portion
• भागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular

• अश्नुते: partakes, receives
• अश्नुते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — Present indicative, 3rd person singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

Sūta (narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual hall stands quiet: fire altars unlit, priests holding ladles at rest; meanwhile householders continue simple daily worship. Above, Viṣṇu as Yajñapuruṣa reclines, indicating the pause in grand sacrifices.

Characters & Entities

• Yajñapuruṣa (Viṣṇu)
• Makha (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual efficacy depends on divine participation; dharma recognizes seasons when certain sacrificial acts are suspended.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though a general rule is stated, it is taught within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-centered māhātmya of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During the Lord’s śayana season, major sacrificial rites (makha-type yajñas) are to be avoided, while other customary rites may continue.