Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 105

Devanagari script

अथ ते मुनयः सर्वे स च राजा तथा द्विजाः । चक्रुः सायंतनं कर्म यथोद्दिष्टं पुरातनैः

Transliteration

atha te munayaḥ sarve sa ca rājā tathā dvijāḥ | cakruḥ sāyaṃtanaṃ karma yathoddiṣṭaṃ purātanaiḥ

Translation

随后，诸牟尼与国王及诸“再生者”（婆罗门等）一同，依古圣所示，如法完成傍晚的修持仪轨。

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘ते’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘मुनयः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘सः’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य

• तथा: also
• तथा: Samuccaya (Additive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यार्थक (also/likewise)

• द्विजाः: Brahmins
• द्विजाः: Karta (Co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• चक्रुः: performed/did
• चक्रुः: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• सायंतनम्: evening
• सायंतनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāyaṃtana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कर्म’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (evening-related)

• कर्म: rite/action
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यथोद्दिष्टम्: as prescribed
• यथोद्दिष्टम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + uddiṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; √diś)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कर्म’ इत्यस्य क्रियाविशेषण/विशेषण (as prescribed)

• पुरातनैः: by the ancients
• पुरातनैः: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive sense/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे (by the ancients)

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages, the king, and dvijas sit or stand in orderly rows performing evening sandhyā: sipping water, holding darbha, offering arghya toward the west; lamps begin to glow.

Characters & Entities

• munayaḥ (sages)
• rājā (king)
• dvijāḥ (twice-born)
• purātanāḥ (ancients)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True piety follows right practice and lineage of instruction—rituals are done as taught by the tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Māhātmya setting implies a sacred travel context; this verse highlights correct conduct at a tīrtha without naming the site in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sāyaṃtana karma—proper evening religious observances (within the broader Sandhyā framework).