Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

ततः प्रभातसमये प्रोद्गते रविमंडले । मृतोऽहं क्षुधयाविष्टः स्थानेऽत्रैव द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

tataḥ prabhātasamaye prodgate ravimaṃḍale | mṛto'haṃ kṣudhayāviṣṭaḥ sthāne'traiva dvijottamāḥ

Translation

ครั้นแล้วในยามรุ่งอรุณ เมื่อวงพระอาทิตย์ผุดขึ้น ข้าพเจ้าถูกความหิวครอบงำและสิ้นชีวิตลง ณ ที่นี้เอง ณ สถานที่นี้—โอ้พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थक (indeclinable: ‘then/thereafter’)

• प्रभातसमये: at dawn-time
• प्रभातसमये: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक) + समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रभातस्य समयः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• प्रोद्गते: when (it) had risen
• प्रोद्गते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + उद् + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle) ‘प्रोद्गत’, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘रविमण्डले’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• रविमण्डले: in the sun’s orb (when the sun had risen)
• रविमण्डले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (रवेः मण्डलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle) ‘मृत’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘अहम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• क्षुधया: by hunger
• क्षुधया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुध्/क्षुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• आविष्टः: overcome, seized
• आविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle) ‘आविष्ट’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘अहम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (indeclinable adverb: ‘here’)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे (vocative sense)

Speaker

Rājā (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ (best of Brahmins)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At sunrise, the temple courtyard glows; a pilgrim collapses from hunger near the sanctum threshold, while the other and nearby attendants look on in grief; the rising sun frames the solemn moment.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (implicit: ravi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even death occurring within a sanctified space becomes woven into the Purāṇic logic of grace and merit, especially when preceded by worship and vigil.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The “very place” (atraiva sthāne) of Mahākāla/Hara’s temple setting in this Tīrthamāhātmya context; the verse stresses salvific sacred space rather than naming a geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new prescription; it continues the account of vigil/austerity culminating at dawn.