Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा चातिदुःखार्तो रामो मतिमतां वरः । प्रणामं दंडवच्चक्रे चक्रपाणिरिवापरः

Transliteration

ityuktvā cātiduḥkhārto rāmo matimatāṃ varaḥ | praṇāmaṃ daṃḍavaccakre cakrapāṇirivāparaḥ

Translation

فلما قال ذلك، قام راما —وهو خيرُ الحكماء وقد أثقله حزنٌ عظيم— بسجودٍ كاملٍ كالعصا، سجودَ خضوعٍ تام، كأنه حاملُ القرص (فيشنو) الآخر.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-शब्दः; वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक अव्यय

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vac (धातु) + ktvā (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (Conjunction/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• ati-duḥkha-ārtaḥ: afflicted by extreme sorrow
• ati-duḥkha-ārtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + ārta (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (अतिदुःखेन आर्तः)

• rāmaḥ: Rāma
• rāmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• matimatām: of the wise
• matimatām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: matimat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; गुणवाचक (of the intelligent)

• varaḥ: the best
• varaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• praṇāmam: salutation
• praṇāmam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• daṃḍavat: prostrating (fully)
• daṃḍavat: Avyaya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: daṃḍavat (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: उपमानार्थक अव्यय (adverb: 'like a staff', i.e., prostrate)

• cakre: did; performed
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• cakrapāṇiḥ: the discus-handed (Viṣṇu)
• cakrapāṇiḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakra-pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चक्रं पाणौ यस्य/चक्रपाणिः)

• iva: like
• iva: Avyaya (Comparative/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय

• aparaḥ: another (as if)
• aparaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (another/second)

Speaker

Narrator (not specified in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, grief-stricken yet composed, performs full prostration (daṇḍavat) on forest ground; the woman stands before him; a subtle aura suggests his Viṣṇu-like nature (cakrapāṇi comparison).

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Cakrapāṇi (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True greatness expresses itself as humility—bowing down in reverence even amid personal grief.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is explicitly mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act of daṇḍavat-praṇāma (full prostration) is exemplified as a devotional practice.