Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

शरत्काले यथा व्योम्नि नक्षत्राणि द्विजोत्तमाः । तथान्या स्पर्द्धया युक्ता ययाचेऽमलवर्चसम् । हारं निर्मूल्यतायुक्तं चित्ताह्लादकरं परम्

Transliteration

śaratkāle yathā vyomni nakṣatrāṇi dvijottamāḥ | tathānyā sparddhayā yuktā yayāce'malavarcasam | hāraṃ nirmūlyatāyuktaṃ cittāhlādakaraṃ param

Translation

Hỡi bậc Nhị-sinh tối thượng, như sao trời rực sáng giữa không trung mùa thu, cũng vậy một người khác vì lòng ganh đua đã xin một chuỗi ngọc rạng ngời, tinh khiết, vô giá, đem lại niềm hoan hỷ tối thượng cho tâm.

Word by Word

• śaratkāle: in the autumn season
• śaratkāle: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarat-kāla (प्रातिपदिक; शरत् + काल)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana; kāla-śabdaḥ, śarat-viśeṣaṇa-yuktaḥ; Locative of time (कालाधिकरण)

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; upamā/saṃbandha-bodhaka (correlative: yathā...tathā)

• vyomni: in the sky
• vyomni: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyoman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana

• nakṣatrāṇi: stars
• nakṣatrāṇi: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana

• dvijottamāḥ: O best of twice-born (brahmins)
• dvijottamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija-uttama (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana; sambodhana-prāyaḥ (addressing)

• tathā: so, likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; correlative to yathā

• anyā: another (woman)
• anyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana

• sparddhayā: with rivalry/competition
• sparddhayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana

• yuktā: joined/filled (with)
• yuktā: Karta-anvaya (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (धातु) → yukta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; kta-pratyaya; viśeṣaṇa of anyā

• yayāce: she begged/asked
• yayāce: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yāc (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• amala-varcasam: the spotless-radiant one (Damayantī)
• amala-varcasam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amala-varcas (प्रातिपदिक; अमल + वर्चस्)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; varcas-śabdaḥ; karma of yayāce

• hāram: a necklace
• hāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; (requested item)

• nirmūlyatāyuktam: endowed with pricelessness
• nirmūlyatāyuktam: Karma-anvaya (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirmūlyatā-yukta (प्रातिपदिक; निर्मूल्यता + युक्त)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of hāram

• cittāhlādakaram: delighting the mind
• cittāhlādakaram: Karma-anvaya (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citta-āhlāda-kara (प्रातिपदिक; चित्त + आह्लाद + कर)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of hāram

• param: supreme, excellent
• param: Karma-anvaya (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of hāram

Speaker

Narrator addressing dvija-uttama (best of brāhmaṇas) (explicit vocative)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijoत्तama (addressed Brahmin interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Autumn-sky imagery overlays a courtly scene: a spotless, radiant necklace held up, its gleam likened to stars; women look on with rivalry as Damayantī remains composed.

Characters & Entities

• dvijottama
• nakṣatra
• hāra (necklace)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rivalry and craving can eclipse the sanctity of charity; the verse highlights how desire multiplies when rare gifts appear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the chapter’s broader tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it describes the act of asking for a valuable ornament within a charitable distribution.