Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततो यास्यति हर्म्यं स्वं मन्दीभूते च भास्करे । ऋचीकस्तु तदाकर्ण्य लोकानां वचनं च यत्

Transliteration

tato yāsyati harmyaṃ svaṃ mandībhūte ca bhāskare | ṛcīkastu tadākarṇya lokānāṃ vacanaṃ ca yat

Translation

ต่อมาเมื่อแสงตะวันอ่อนลง (ยามเย็น) นางจะไปยังคฤหาสน์ของตน แต่ฤจีกะได้ยินถ้อยคำที่ผู้คนกล่าวกันแล้ว จึงใคร่ครวญในใจ

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adverbial (Time/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then)

• यास्यति: will go
• यास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• हर्म्यम्: mansion/house
• हर्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गन्तव्य-कर्म

• स्वम्: one's own
• स्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; हर्म्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मन्दीभूते: when (it) had become dim
• मन्दीभूते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्दी (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + भू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; भास्करे सति (locative absolute)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• भास्करे: when the sun (was)
• भास्करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute सह)

• ऋचीकः: Ṛcīka
• ऋचीकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋचीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: 'but/indeed')

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adverbial (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + कर्ण्/कृ (धातु: कर्णयति/श्रवणार्थ)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; 'having heard'

• लोकानाम्: of the people
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; श्रवणस्य कर्म

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• यत्: which/that (statement)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

Speaker

Deductive/Contextual Narration (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Nāgara-khaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sun lowers; light softens. A woman departs the shrine precinct toward her mansion. Nearby, townspeople converse in small groups. Ṛcīka stands aside, listening intently, his face thoughtful as he absorbs their words.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛcīka
• Bhāskara (Sun)
• People (loka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often pivot from ritual time-markers to moral events, showing how sacred contexts shape human decisions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains within the Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya setting; the immediate line does not name the tīrtha but continues the locale-based worship narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new prescription; it provides a time-setting (toward evening) following the worship sequence.