Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 107

Devanagari script

पीयूषार्णववेलेव विषवृक्षलतेव च । उलूकैश्चक्रवाकैश्च युगपद्या विलोक्यते

Transliteration

pīyūṣārṇavaveleva viṣavṛkṣalateva ca | ulūkaiścakravākaiśca yugapadyā vilokyate

Translation

ราตรีนั้นถูกมองเห็นพร้อมกันในสองนัยอันตรงข้าม—ดุจฝั่งมหาสมุทรแห่งอมฤต และดุจเถาวัลย์ที่เกาะอยู่บนต้นไม้พิษ—ทั้งโดยนกเค้าและนกจักรวากา

Word by Word

• पीयूषार्णववेला: the shore of the nectar-ocean
• पीयूषार्णववेला: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīyūṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + arṇava (प्रातिपदिक) + velā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पीयूषस्य अर्णवः तस्य वेला)

• इव: like
• इव: Upamā-dyotaka (Simile marker/उपमाद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (particle of simile)

• विषवृक्षलता: a creeper on a poison-tree
• विषवृक्षलता: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + latā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (विषस्य वृक्षः तस्य लता/विषवृक्षस्य लता)

• इव: like
• इव: Upamā-dyotaka (Simile marker/उपमाद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• उलूकैः: by owls
• उलूकैः: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ulūka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• चक्रवाकैः: by cakravāka birds
• चक्रवाकैः: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakravāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• युगपत्: simultaneously
• युगपत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yugapat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/प्रकारवाचक (simultaneously)

• विलोक्यते: is seen
• विलोक्यते: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi+√lok (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (is seen)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa style narration within Māhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poetic allegory: on one side, an owl delights in the night; on the other, a cakravāka pair laments separation—night appears simultaneously as nectar-shore and poison-creeper, symbolizing divergent inner states.

Characters & Entities

• ulūka (owl)
• cakravāka (ruddy goose)
• pīyūṣa (nectar)
• viṣa (poison)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The same time or circumstance appears as nectar to one and poison to another—inner nature determines perception and conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named; the verse is an allegorical description embedded in the Māhātmya storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; it is a poetic, ethical observation.