Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ततः सूर्यपथं मुक्त्वा ततश्चंद्रस्य पार्थिवः । नक्षत्रसरणिं प्राप्य सज्यं कृत्वा महद्धनुः

Transliteration

tataḥ sūryapathaṃ muktvā tataścaṃdrasya pārthivaḥ | nakṣatrasaraṇiṃ prāpya sajyaṃ kṛtvā mahaddhanuḥ

Translation

मग त्या राजाने सूर्याचा मार्ग सोडून, नंतर चंद्राचाही मार्ग त्यागला. नक्षत्रांच्या सरणीत पोहोचून त्याने महान धनुष्य सज्ज करून तयारी केली.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana (Sequence/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (then/from there)

• सूर्यपथम्: the path of the sun
• सूर्यपथम्: Apadana (Source/Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यस्य पथः)

• मुक्त्वा: having left
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु) (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having left/released’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Sequence/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय

• चंद्रस्य: of the moon
• चंद्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• पार्थिवः: the king
• पार्थिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• नक्षत्रसरणिम्: the course/track of the stars
• नक्षत्रसरणिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र + सरणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नक्षत्राणां सरणिः)

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √आप् (धातु) (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having reached’

• सज्यम्: strung (with a bowstring)
• सज्यम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘with string fitted’

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having made/done’

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘great’

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma (Instrumental object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king-hero traverses luminous solar and lunar tracks, then enters the starry corridor of nakṣatras; he strings a massive bow, poised amid constellations.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Sūrya
• Candra
• Nakṣatra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler’s dharma includes readiness and disciplined resolve to protect cosmic and social order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the immediate line focuses on the narrative setup rather than naming a single tīrtha in this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes preparation and movement through celestial courses.