Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

पादावमर्दनं कृत्वा आसीमांतमनुव्रजेत् । बलिं च निक्षिपेत्तस्माद्भोजनं च समाचरेत्

Transliteration

pādāvamardanaṃ kṛtvā āsīmāṃtamanuvrajet | baliṃ ca nikṣipettasmādbhojanaṃ ca samācaret

Translation

بعد أن يُؤدَّى تدليكُ القدمين خدمةً، يُرافَق باحترامٍ حتى الحدّ اللائق. ثم تُوضَع قُربانُ البَلي (bali)، وبعد ذلك يُتناوَل الطعام على الوجه المرسوم.

Word by Word

• पाद-अवमर्दनम्: massaging the feet
• पाद-अवमर्दनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + अवमर्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पादानाम् अवमर्दनम् = foot-massage)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• आसीमान्तम्: to the boundary/limit
• आसीमान्तम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग) + सीमान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनुव्रजेत्: should follow, should accompany
• अनुव्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु+व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• बलिम्: offering, bali
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• निक्षिपेत्: should place, should deposit
• निक्षिपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्मात्: from that, thereafter
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भोजनम्: meal, feeding
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• समाचरेत्: should perform, should carry out
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (instructor) to Ānarta (king) — inferred from immediate dialogue context in this Śrāddha-kalpa section

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to a ruler/‘narādhipa’ in the surrounding verses’ didactic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A host gently rubbing the feet of honored guests/brāhmaṇas after śrāddha rites, then walking with them to a marked boundary; a small bali offering placed near a threshold; finally a simple ritual meal served.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is not only offering-food but also disciplined etiquette—service, proper sequence, and respectful completion of the rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This instruction belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pādāvamardana (foot-service), proceed to the prescribed boundary, place bali (offering portion), and then take the meal in due order.