Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य माघमास उपस्थिते । रात्रौ सोऽध्ययनं चक्र उपाध्यायगृहं गतः

Transliteration

kasyacittvatha kālasya māghamāsa upasthite | rātrau so'dhyayanaṃ cakra upādhyāyagṛhaṃ gataḥ

Translation

ତାପରେ ଏକ ସମୟରେ, ମାଘମାସ ଆସିପହଞ୍ଚିଲେ, ସେ ରାତିରେ ଉପାଧ୍ୟାୟଙ୍କ ଘରକୁ ଯାଇ ଅଧ୍ୟୟନ କଲା।

Word by Word

• कस्यचित्: of some (person/thing)
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कस्यचित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-विशेषणार्थक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक (then/now)

• कालस्य: of time/after some time
• कालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• माघमासे: in the month of Māgha
• माघमासे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघमास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—माघस्य मासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• उपस्थिते: when (it) had arrived
• उपस्थिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपस्थित (√स्था (धातु) + उपसर्ग उप + क्त)
• Form: कृत्प्रत्ययान्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्गे माघमासे विशेषणम्; अर्थः—प्राप्ते/आगते (having arrived)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time-locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative adverbial)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अध्ययनम्: study/recitation
• अध्ययनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्ययन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• चक्र: did/performed
• चक्र: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• उपाध्यायगृहं: the teacher's house
• उपाध्यायगृहं: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाध्याय + गृह (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—उपाध्यायस्य गृहं (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• गतः: having gone
• गतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गत (√गम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: कृत्प्रत्ययान्त (क्त-प्रत्यय) भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक-कर्तरि प्रयोगः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सः इति कर्तरि विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young student, wrapped in a simple cloth, walks through a quiet Māgha night toward his guru’s house; a small oil lamp glows as palm-leaf manuscripts are read in a hushed courtyard.

Characters & Entities

• Māgha
• Upādhyāya
• Parāvasu (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is cultivated through disciplined learning and reverence toward the teacher, especially in auspicious sacred times like Māgha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it marks sacred time (Māgha) within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it mentions adhyayana (study/recitation) undertaken during Māgha.