Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

एवमभ्यर्च्य तान्सर्वांस्ततः कृत्वा प्रदक्षिणाम् । जानुनी भूतले न्यस्य ततश्चार्घं प्रदापयेत्

Transliteration

evamabhyarcya tānsarvāṃstataḥ kṛtvā pradakṣiṇām | jānunī bhūtale nyasya tataścārghaṃ pradāpayet

Translation

«فإذا عُبِدوا جميعًا على هذا النحو، ثم أُدّيت البرَدَكْشِنا (الطواف احترامًا)، فليضع المرء ركبتيه على الأرض تواضعًا، ثم ليقدّم الأَرْغْيَا (arghya)، ماءَ التكريم.»

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Prakāra (Manner adjunct/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक/adverb of manner)

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) + अभि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘अभ्यर्च्य’ = पूजयित्वा

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kāla-krama (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रम/अनन्तर/adverb: ‘thereafter’)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• प्रदक्षिणाम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जानुनी: (both) knees
• जानुनी: Karman (Object—placed/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन (dual)

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• न्यस्य: having placed
• न्यस्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अस् (धातु) + नि (उपसर्ग) → न्यस् (धातु-रूप)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘निक्षिप्य/स्थापयित्वा’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla-krama (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• अर्घम्: arghya offering
• अर्घम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रदापयेत्: should offer, should present
• प्रदापयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative sense in usage ‘cause to be given/offer’

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: king (rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritualist completes worship, walks a clockwise circle around the offering space, then kneels on the prepared ground and extends a vessel of arghya forward.

Characters & Entities

• Pradakṣiṇā
• Arghya
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power is carried by humility—honoring the invoked presences through reverence, circumambulation, and respectful offering.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The ritual teaching is embedded in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya context, though the verse itself details rite-sequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After worship and pradakṣiṇā, kneel to the ground and offer arghya as a formal act of honor.