Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

यस्येन्द्रायुधसंघाश्च निष्क्रामंति सहस्रशः । रात्रौ तमिस्रपक्षेऽपि लक्ष्यतेऽर्कोपमत्विषः

Transliteration

yasyendrāyudhasaṃghāśca niṣkrāmaṃti sahasraśaḥ | rātrau tamisrapakṣe'pi lakṣyate'rkopamatviṣaḥ

Translation

ଯାହାଠାରୁ ସହସ୍ର ସହସ୍ର ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରଧନୁଷ୍ୟ-ସଦୃଶ ଝଲକ ବାହାରୁଛି; ଅମାବାସ୍ୟାର ଘୋର ଅନ୍ଧକାର ରାତିରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ତାହା ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟସମ ଦୀପ୍ତିରେ ଦେଖାଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• yasya: whose/of which
• yasya: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• indra-āyudha-saṃghāḥ: clusters of rainbows
• indra-āyudha-saṃghāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra + āyudha + saṃgha (प्रातिपदिक-त्रय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (indrasya āyudham = vajra; indra-āyudha-saṃgha = groups of rainbows)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• niṣkrāmanti: come forth/emanate
• niṣkrāmanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: niṣ√kram (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• sahasraśaḥ: by the thousand
• sahasraśaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśas (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: by thousands)

• rātrau: at night
• rātrau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• tamisra-pakṣe: in the dark fortnight
• tamisra-pakṣe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamisra + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (tamisraḥ pakṣaḥ = dark fortnight)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• lakṣyate: is perceived/seen
• lakṣyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √lakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: is seen)

• arka-upama-tviṣaḥ: having sun-like radiance
• arka-upama-tviṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arka + upama + tviṣ (प्रातिपदिक-त्रय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपमान-सम्बन्ध (arkasya upamā yasyāḥ sā = sun-like); विशेषणम् (rātrau… lakṣyate इत्यत्र)

Speaker

Narrator (context: Agastya describing a marvel to Rāma)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A jewel-ornament blazing in the hand, sending out countless rainbow-like rays; the surrounding scene is a moonless night rendered bright as day by the object’s sun-like glow.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Arka (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha is marked by divine signs—its purity and merit manifest as extraordinary radiance that dispels darkness, symbolizing the removal of inner ignorance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A wondrous taḍāga (sacred pond) near Agastya’s āśrama within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it focuses on the miraculous mark (divya-tejas) that reveals the tīrtha’s greatness.