Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

शरत्काले यथा व्योम्नि नक्षत्राणि द्विजोत्तमाः । तथान्या स्पर्द्धया युक्ता ययाचेऽमलवर्चसम् । हारं निर्मूल्यतायुक्तं चित्ताह्लादकरं परम्

Transliteration

śaratkāle yathā vyomni nakṣatrāṇi dvijottamāḥ | tathānyā sparddhayā yuktā yayāce'malavarcasam | hāraṃ nirmūlyatāyuktaṃ cittāhlādakaraṃ param

Translation

ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜୋତ୍ତମ! ଶରତ୍କାଳର ଆକାଶରେ ଯେପରି ନକ୍ଷତ୍ରମାନେ ଦୀପ୍ତିମାନ ହୁଅନ୍ତି, ସେପରି ସ୍ପର୍ଧାରେ ପ୍ରେରିତ ଅନ୍ୟା ଜଣେ ନିର୍ମଳ ତେଜଯୁକ୍ତ, ଅମୂଲ୍ୟ ଓ ହୃଦୟକୁ ପରମ ଆନନ୍ଦ ଦେଇଥିବା ହାର ଯାଚିଲା।

Word by Word

• śaratkāle: in the autumn season
• śaratkāle: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarat-kāla (प्रातिपदिक; शरत् + काल)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana; kāla-śabdaḥ, śarat-viśeṣaṇa-yuktaḥ; Locative of time (कालाधिकरण)

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; upamā/saṃbandha-bodhaka (correlative: yathā...tathā)

• vyomni: in the sky
• vyomni: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyoman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana

• nakṣatrāṇi: stars
• nakṣatrāṇi: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana

• dvijottamāḥ: O best of twice-born (brahmins)
• dvijottamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija-uttama (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana; sambodhana-prāyaḥ (addressing)

• tathā: so, likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; correlative to yathā

• anyā: another (woman)
• anyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana

• sparddhayā: with rivalry/competition
• sparddhayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana

• yuktā: joined/filled (with)
• yuktā: Karta-anvaya (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (धातु) → yukta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; kta-pratyaya; viśeṣaṇa of anyā

• yayāce: she begged/asked
• yayāce: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yāc (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• amala-varcasam: the spotless-radiant one (Damayantī)
• amala-varcasam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amala-varcas (प्रातिपदिक; अमल + वर्चस्)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; varcas-śabdaḥ; karma of yayāce

• hāram: a necklace
• hāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; (requested item)

• nirmūlyatāyuktam: endowed with pricelessness
• nirmūlyatāyuktam: Karma-anvaya (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirmūlyatā-yukta (प्रातिपदिक; निर्मूल्यता + युक्त)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of hāram

• cittāhlādakaram: delighting the mind
• cittāhlādakaram: Karma-anvaya (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citta-āhlāda-kara (प्रातिपदिक; चित्त + आह्लाद + कर)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of hāram

• param: supreme, excellent
• param: Karma-anvaya (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of hāram

Speaker

Narrator addressing dvija-uttama (best of brāhmaṇas) (explicit vocative)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijoत्तama (addressed Brahmin interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Autumn-sky imagery overlays a courtly scene: a spotless, radiant necklace held up, its gleam likened to stars; women look on with rivalry as Damayantī remains composed.

Characters & Entities

• dvijottama
• nakṣatra
• hāra (necklace)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rivalry and craving can eclipse the sanctity of charity; the verse highlights how desire multiplies when rare gifts appear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the chapter’s broader tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it describes the act of asking for a valuable ornament within a charitable distribution.