Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

तावदाकाशगा वाणी सहसा देवनिर्मिता । अटताराजमार्गेण विप्रेणानेन वै यतः

Transliteration

tāvadākāśagā vāṇī sahasā devanirmitā | aṭatārājamārgeṇa vipreṇānena vai yataḥ

Translation

ครั้นแล้วในทันใด เสียงทิพย์ที่เหล่าเทวะบันดาลขึ้น พลันเคลื่อนผ่านนภาและเปล่งวาจา เพราะพราหมณ์ผู้นี้กำลังพเนจรไปตามราชมรรคา

Word by Word

• तावत्: just then
• तावत्: Kala (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal particle: ‘then/so long/just then’)

• आकाशगा: moving in the sky
• आकाशगा: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी/उपपद: ‘आकाशे गा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वाणी-विशेषण

• वाणी: a voice
• वाणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: suddenly)

• देवनिर्मिता: created by the gods
• देवनिर्मिता: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्मित (कृदन्त, क्त; √मा/मि with निर्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीया: ‘देवैः निर्मिता’), भूतकृदन्त (क्त) विशेषण, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वाणी-विशेषण

• अटता: while wandering
• अटता: Karana (Instrumental circumstance/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अट् (धातु) → अटत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; ‘while wandering’

• राजमार्गेण: by the king’s road
• राजमार्गेण: Karana (Path as means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘राज्ञः मार्गः’), पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विप्रेण: by the brahmin
• विप्रेण: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनेन: by this (one)
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• यतः: because/whence
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (causal/relative adverb: ‘because/from which’)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; continuing the māhātmya account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇāḥ/śrotāraḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāja-mārge gacchati vipraḥ; upari ākāśe jyotiḥ-maṇḍalaṃ, tatra divya-vāṇī-rūpaṃ (ākāśa-lipi/śabda-taraṅga) devaiḥ nirmitaṃ; śrotāraḥ vismitaḥ.

Characters & Entities

• devas (gods)
• ākāśavāṇī (heavenly voice)
• vipra/brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In purāṇic tīrtha narratives, sincere movement through dharmic space can draw divine guidance (ākāśavāṇī).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative frame is the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra/Aṭeśvara māhātmya in Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse marks a revelatory moment (a divine announcement).