Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ततः प्रोवाच सोऽन्वक्षं तासां दक्षः प्रजापतिः । भर्त्सयन्परुषैर्वाक्यैर्निशानाथं मुहुर्मुहुः

Transliteration

tataḥ provāca so'nvakṣaṃ tāsāṃ dakṣaḥ prajāpatiḥ | bhartsayanparuṣairvākyairniśānāthaṃ muhurmuhuḥ

Translation

ତାପରେ ପ୍ରଜାପତି ଦକ୍ଷ ସେମାନଙ୍କ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ଦାଁଡ଼ି, ନିଶାନାଥ (ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର)ଙ୍କୁ କଠୋର ବାକ୍ୟରେ ପୁନଃପୁନଃ ଭର୍ତ୍ସନା କଲେ।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = then/thereafter

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; 'said'

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

• अन्वक्षम्: in their presence
• अन्वक्षम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (उपसर्ग) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण); 'अन्वक्षम्' = in the presence/nearby, face to face

• तासाम्: of them
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; 'of them'

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; subject apposition

• प्रजापतिः: the Prajāpati
• प्रजापतिः: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'प्रजानां पतिः' = lord of creatures

• भर्त्सयन्: rebuking
• भर्त्सयन्: Kriya-vishesana (Concomitant action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भर्त्स् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (परस्मैपदी) = present participle; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'rebuking'

• परुषैः: harsh
• परुषैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (वाक्यैः सह), तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; adjective qualifying 'vākyaḥ'

• वाक्यैः: with words
• वाक्यैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; instrumental 'with words'

• निशानाथम्: the lord of night (Moon)
• निशानाथम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'निशायाः नाथः' = lord of night (Moon); object of rebuking/speaking to

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = repeatedly

• मुहुः: repeatedly
• मुहुः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति) = reduplicated for emphasis

Speaker

Sūta (narrative voice continues; direct action by Dakṣa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa stands before Niśānātha, finger raised in stern admonition; the Moon’s radiance appears slightly veiled, suggesting guilt and the onset of diminution; the daughters stand behind Dakṣa as witnesses.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa Prajāpati
• Niśānātha (Chandra/Soma)
• Dakṣa’s daughters (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authority in dharma includes correction: wrongdoing is not ignored but confronted to protect social and moral order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it is part of the chapter’s narrative within a tīrtha-māhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the next verses articulate a dharmaśāstric rule.