Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

प्रातःकर्म सुरेशानां मध्याह्ने द्विजसेवनम् । अपराह्णेऽथ कार्याणि कुर्वन्मर्त्यः सुखी भवेत्

Transliteration

prātaḥkarma sureśānāṃ madhyāhne dvijasevanam | aparāhṇe'tha kāryāṇi kurvanmartyaḥ sukhī bhavet

Translation

പ്രഭാതത്തിൽ ദേവാധിപന്മാരെ പൂജിക്കണം, മധ്യാഹ്നത്തിൽ ദ്വിജസേവനം ചെയ്യണം. പിന്നെ അപരാഹ്നത്തിൽ ലോകകാര്യങ്ങൾ ചെയ്താൽ മർത്ത്യൻ സുഖിയാകും.

Word by Word

• प्रातःकर्म: morning rite/duty
• प्रातःकर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रातः-कर्म (प्रातिपदिक; प्रातः + कर्म)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (प्रातः = प्रातःकाले)

• सुरेशानाम्: of the lords of the gods (deities)
• सुरेशानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• मध्याह्ने: at midday
• मध्याह्ने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्याह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative: at noon)

• द्विजसेवनम्: service of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजसेवनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-सेवन (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + सेवन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां सेवनम्)

• अपराह्णे: in the afternoon
• अपराह्णे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराह्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative: in the afternoon)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भ (particle: then/now)

• कार्याणि: tasks, duties
• कार्याणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कुर्वन्: doing, performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि (active participle)

• मर्त्यः: a mortal, a man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुखी: happy
• सुखी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (मर्त्यः)

• भवेत्: should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like day cycle: sunrise worship before a shrine; midday offering and respectful attendance to a learned dvija; afternoon the same person engaged in honest work, all under a calm sacred sky.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A balanced day—devotion, service to the learned, and timely worldly duties—creates dharmic well-being and happiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in the verse; it provides a general dharmic daily regimen suitable for tīrtha-life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Morning worship of the devas, midday service to dvijas, and afternoon performance of one’s necessary tasks.