Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

सूर्यास्तमानवेलायां यत्प्रयच्छति तत्क्षणात् । परिघं सुदृढं पापस्तत्करोमि च किं पुनः

Transliteration

sūryāstamānavelāyāṃ yatprayacchati tatkṣaṇāt | parighaṃ sudṛḍhaṃ pāpastatkaromi ca kiṃ punaḥ

Translation

“സൂര്യാസ്തമയത്തിൽ അവൻ (വാതിൽ) അടച്ച ഉടനെ, ആ പാപി അത്യന്തം ദൃഢമായ തടികമ്പ്/പരിഘം വെക്കുന്നു— പിന്നെ ഞാൻ എന്ത് കൂടി ചെയ്യാം?”

Word by Word

• सूर्य: sun
• सूर्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसम्बन्धे (पूर्वपद), एकवचन; of the sun (as prior member)

• अस्तमान: setting
• अस्तमान: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astamāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसम्बन्धे (पूर्वपद), एकवचन; setting (as prior member)

• वेलायाम्: at the time
• वेलायाम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: velā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; सूर्यास्तमानवेलायाम् = at the time of sunset

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; relative pronoun (whatever/that which)

• प्रयच्छति: gives
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√yam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; Present indicative (gives/hand over)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; correlative pronoun (that)

• क्षणात्: immediately
• क्षणात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; used adverbially: immediately/from that moment

• परिघम्: a bar/bolt
• परिघम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parigha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• सुदृढम्: very strong
• सुदृढम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su+dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; su+dṛḍha = very firm/strong

• पापः: the sinner (he)
• पापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (the sinner/wretch)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative (that) as prior member

• करोमि: I make/do
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; Present indicative (I do/make)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; interrogative (what) used idiomatically

• पुनः: moreover/again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), पुनरावृत्ति/अधिक; again/moreover

Speaker

Narrator quoting the schemer’s inner speech (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At sunset, a caretaker slides a heavy wooden/iron bar across the monastery gate; outside, the antagonist watches, calculating, as the sky reddens and shadows lengthen.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wrongdoing breeds frustration and obsession; dharma-protecting vigilance (symbolized by the bar at sunset) blocks harmful intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it continues the monastery-setting narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; sunset is mentioned as a time-setting rather than a prescribed rite.