Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ततः प्लक्षनगाधस्तात्पर्णान्यास्तीर्य भूतले । सायंतनं विधिं कृत्वा सुष्वाप रघुनन्दनः

Transliteration

tataḥ plakṣanagādhastātparṇānyāstīrya bhūtale | sāyaṃtanaṃ vidhiṃ kṛtvā suṣvāpa raghunandanaḥ

Translation

मग रघुनंदनाने प्लक्षवृक्षाखाली भूमीवर पाने पसरली। सायंकाळचा विधी करून तो तेथेच शय्या करून निद्राधीन झाला।

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/देश-कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्) — ‘ततः’ = ‘तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम्’ (thereafter/from there)

• प्लक्षनगात्: from the plakṣa-tree
• प्लक्षनगात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लक्षनग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — प्लक्षस्य नगः (from the plakṣa-tree/mountain-like tree)

• अधः: below
• अधः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/स्थानाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्) — ‘below/down’

• तात्: from there
• तात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — ‘तात्’ (from that place/therefrom; Vedic/poetic usage)

• पर्णानि: leaves
• पर्णानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• आस्तीर्य: having spread
• आस्तीर्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तॄ (धातु) + आ- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘आ-स्तीर्य’ = having spread; धातु: स्तॄ (to spread)

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — भूः + तलम् (on the ground)

• सायंतनम्: evening
• सायंतनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सायंतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — ‘evening (pertaining to evening)’

• विधिम्: rite/observance
• विधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘कृत्वा’ = having done; धातु: कृ (to do)

• सुष्वाप: slept
• सुष्वाप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्वप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘slept’ (perfect)

• रघुनन्दनः: Raghu’s descendant (Rāma)
• रघुनन्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघुनन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — रघोः नन्दनः (descendant/son of Raghu)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma (Raghunandana) rests beneath a broad plakṣa tree; leaf-bedding on earth; twilight fading; he completes sandhyā with calm composure before sleep.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Plakṣa tree

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is maintained through daily discipline; sacred travel is completed by regular worship rather than mere movement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the Pitṛkūpikā region, now marked by the plakṣa tree as a narrative landmark.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sāyaṃtana-vidhi—the evening observance (sandhyā-related rite) performed at dusk.