Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

प्रत्युद्ययौ सलज्जा च कृतांजलिपुरःसरा । प्रणम्य शिरसा चेयं ततः प्राह स्वलंकृता

Transliteration

pratyudyayau salajjā ca kṛtāṃjalipuraḥsarā | praṇamya śirasā ceyaṃ tataḥ prāha svalaṃkṛtā

Translation

تقدّمت بخفرٍ وحياء، ويداها مطويتان في «أنجلي» أمامها. ثم انحنت برأسها ساجدةً إجلالًا، وهي متزيّنة، فتكلمت بعد ذلك.

Word by Word

• प्रत्युद्ययौ: went forward to meet
• प्रत्युद्ययौ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + उद् + या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सलज्जा: modest / bashful
• सलज्जा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + लज्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (लज्जया सह) = ‘with modesty’

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

• कृतांजलि: with joined palms
• कृतांजलि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त) + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कृतः अञ्जलिः यस्या:) ‘with hands joined’ (as qualifier of ‘इयम्’)

• पुरःसरा: going ahead / leading
• पुरःसरा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरस् + सृ (धातु) → पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘going in front/leading’ (qualifier)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु) → प्रणम्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having bowed’

• शिरसा: with (her) head
• शिरसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental: ‘with (her) head’

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

• इयम्: this (lady) / she
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रम/हेतु/स्थानवाचक; here: sequence) = ‘then/thereafter’

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्वलंकृता: well-adorned
• स्वलंकृता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + अलंकृ (धातु) → अलंकृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘well-adorned’

Speaker

Pulastya (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (Unnamed) Arbuda-kuṇḍa precinct

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpasattama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā advances with shyness and humility, hands folded, bows her head, adorned, and begins to speak—an image of reverent diplomacy before Devī.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā (implied as ‘iyam’)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence—añjali and praṇāma—purifies relationships and opens the way for truthful, auspicious speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it supports the broader Arbuda-khaṇḍa sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The gestures of añjali (folded hands) and praṇāma (bowing) are devotional observances, though not framed as a formal rite here.