Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

दक्षिणाभिमुखो रात्रौ यश्च स्नाति विमूढधीः । शेते च शयने सोऽपि भक्षणीयश्च सत्वरम्

Transliteration

dakṣiṇābhimukho rātrau yaśca snāti vimūḍhadhīḥ | śete ca śayane so'pi bhakṣaṇīyaśca satvaram

Translation

凡愚昧之人夜间沐浴而面向南方，并以不当之法卧睡者——亦被宣告为“可被吞噬之者”，且迅速招致其果。

Word by Word

• दक्षिणाभिमुखः: facing south
• दक्षिणाभिमुखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण + अभिमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दक्षिणं अभिमुखः); (south-facing)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (locative singular: at night)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (who)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: and)

• स्नाति: bathes
• स्नाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (bathes)

• विमूढधीः: of deluded intellect
• विमूढधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + मूढ + धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (विमूढा धीः यस्य सः); (one whose intellect is deluded)

• शेते: lies down/sleeps
• शेते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; (lies/sleeps)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• शयने: on a bed
• शयने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (locative singular: on/in a bed)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (he)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (particle: also/even)

• भक्षणीयः: fit to be eaten; liable to be devoured
• भक्षणीयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) + अनीय (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनीय-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• सत्वरम्: quickly
• सत्वरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (quickly)

Speaker

Narratorial (contextual instruction within the Māhātmya; explicit speaker not stated in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night at a ghat: a confused pilgrim faces south while bathing; behind him loom personified inauspicious forces, while a lamp-lit shrine indicates the correct, protected zone.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts in tīrthas should be done with proper orientation and restraint; negligence invites inauspicious consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the immediate verse emphasizes conduct rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid bathing at night while facing south, and avoid improper sleeping conduct associated with such inauspicious orientation.