Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

तदा स मूर्ध्न्युपाघ्राय राजा गर्भं प्रजापतिः । बुध इत्यकरोन्नाम तस्य बालस्य धीमतः

Transliteration

tadā sa mūrdhnyupāghrāya rājā garbhaṃ prajāpatiḥ | budha ityakaronnāma tasya bālasya dhīmataḥ

Translation

حينئذٍ شمَّ براجابتي، السيدُ الملكي، الطفلَ عند مفرق رأسه، وسمّى ذلك الغلام الحكيم: «بوذا (Budha)».

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; pronoun, masculine, nominative singular

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; masculine, locative singular

• उपाघ्राय: having smelled
• उपाघ्राय: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-घ्रा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; absolutive

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; masculine, nominative singular

• गर्भम्: the child (in the womb), embryo
• गर्भम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; masculine, accusative singular

• प्रजापतिः: Prajāpati (lord of creatures)
• प्रजापतिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; masculine, nominative singular

• बुधः: Budha
• बुधः: Karman (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; masculine, nominative singular (name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/निगमन-अव्ययम् (quotative particle)

• अकरोत्: made, gave
• अकरोत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; imperfect, 3rd person singular

• नाम: a name
• नाम: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; neuter, accusative singular

• तस्य: of that (boy)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; pronoun, genitive singular

• बालस्य: of the child
• बालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; masculine, genitive singular

• धीमतः: of the intelligent (one)
• धीमतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; adjective, masculine, genitive singular (qualifying ‘बालस्य’)

Speaker

Skanda (to Agastya, deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prajāpati/Brahmā lifts the infant, gently smelling the child at the crown of the head in a blessing gesture, then pronounces the name 'Budha'; the assembly’s mood turns from tension to wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Prajāpati (Brahmā)
• Budha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right naming and recognition by a dharmic authority establishes order and auspicious destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is embedded in Kāśī Māhātmya, leading to Budha’s later Kāśī-centered worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a genealogical-narrative verse.