Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

ततः पादौ परिस्पृष्ट्वा द्विजस्येदमुदीरयेत् । श्रद्धा पूतेन मनसा पितृभक्तिपरायणः

Transliteration

tataḥ pādau parispṛṣṭvā dvijasyedamudīrayet | śraddhā pūtena manasā pitṛbhaktiparāyaṇaḥ

Translation

ثمّ بعد أن يلمسَ باحترامٍ قدميِ الدِّوِجَا (البراهمن)، يتلو ما يلي—بقلبٍ طهّرته الشَّرَدْدْهَا (śraddhā)، مُنْصَرِفًا كُلِّيًّا إلى برّ الأسلاف وتوقيرهم.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् (ablatival adverb: ‘thereafter’)

• पादौ: (two) feet
• पादौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; द्विवचन (Accusative dual)

• परिस्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• परिस्पृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (पूर्वकाले क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-√स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having touched’

• द्विजस्य: of the Brahmin
• द्विजस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• इदम्: this (statement)
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• उदीरयेत्: should utter/recite
• उदीरयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√ईर्/√ईरय् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should utter)

• श्रद्धा: faith
• श्रद्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• पूतेन: with purified
• पूतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूत (प्रातिपदिक; √पू ‘to purify’ से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Instrumental singular); विशेषणम् ‘मनसा’

• मनसा: with mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• पितृभक्तिपरायणः: devoted to devotion to the ancestors
• पितृभक्तिपरायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ-भक्ति-परायण (प्रातिपदिक; पितृ + भक्ति + परायण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Nominative singular); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; ‘पितृषु भक्तौ परायणः’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya instructional discourse style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee bows and touches the feet of a seated Brāhmaṇa, then raises hands in añjali, preparing to recite the pitṛ-invocation with a serene, faith-purified expression.

Characters & Entities

• Dvipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha becomes fruitful through humility, faith (śraddhā), and focused Pitṛ-devotion, not merely through external ritual.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a tīrthamāhātmya ritual section; it does not specify a named tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Touch the invited Brāhmaṇa’s feet respectfully and then recite the prescribed invocation with a purified, faithful mind.