Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

क्षणैः षष्ट्या पलं प्रोक्तं षष्ट्या तेषां च नाडिका । नाडिकाद्वितयेनैव मुहूर्तं परिकीर्तितम्

Transliteration

kṣaṇaiḥ ṣaṣṭyā palaṃ proktaṃ ṣaṣṭyā teṣāṃ ca nāḍikā | nāḍikādvitayenaiva muhūrtaṃ parikīrtitam

Translation

กษณะหกสิบหนเรียกว่า ‘ปล’ และปลหกสิบหนเป็นหนึ่ง ‘นาฑิกา’ ด้วยนาฑิกาสองหน จึงกำหนดเป็นหนึ่ง ‘มุหูรตะ’

Word by Word

• क्षणैः: by/with kṣaṇas
• क्षणैः: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• षष्ट्या: by sixty (i.e., sixty of them)
• षष्ट्या: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); परिमाणार्थे (in the measure of sixty)

• पलम्: a pala (unit of time)
• पलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; ‘is said’

• षष्ट्या: by sixty
• षष्ट्या: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; परिमाणार्थे

• तेषाम्: of those (pala-s)
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नाडिका: a nāḍikā (ghaṭikā)
• नाडिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाडिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाडिका-द्वितयेन: by two nāḍikās
• नाडिका-द्वितयेन: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाडिका (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वितय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नाडिकयोः द्वितयेन = by two nāḍikās)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (particle of emphasis/only)

• मुहूर्तम्: a muhūrta
• मुहूर्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• परिकीर्तितम्: is stated/defined
• परिकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; ‘is proclaimed’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A water-clock (ghaṭī-yantra) or clepsydra sits beside the sage; two nāḍikās are shown as a marked interval; pilgrims in the background prepare for a muhūrta-based bath.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right action (dharma) includes right timing; muhūrta-based discipline links human practice to cosmic rhythm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the teaching supports the scheduling of tirtha rites and festival observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Standard definitions for pala, nāḍikā, and muhūrta—key units used in determining auspicious ritual windows.