Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा देवी मुनिश्रेष्ठं कृत्वा पादाभिवन्दनम् । आसनं काञ्चनं शुभ्रमर्घ्यपाद्यादिकं ददौ

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā devī muniśreṣṭhaṃ kṛtvā pādābhivandanam | āsanaṃ kāñcanaṃ śubhramarghyapādyādikaṃ dadau

Translation

মুনিশ্রেষ্ঠকে দেখে দেবী তাঁর চরণে প্রণাম করলেন এবং নির্মল স্বর্ণাসন, অর্ঘ্য, পাদ্য ও অন্যান্য আতিথ্য-উপচার অর্পণ করলেন।

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having seen’

• देवी: the देवी (goddess/queen)
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुनिश्रेष्ठम्: the best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—मुनीनां श्रेष्ठः (best of sages)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having done’

• पादाभिवन्दनम्: salutation at the feet
• पादाभिवन्दनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि + वन्दन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—पादयोः अभिवन्दनम् (salutation to the feet)

• आसनम्: a seat
• आसनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• काञ्चनम्: golden
• काञ्चनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying आसनम्)

• शुभ्रम्: bright/white, pure
• शुभ्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying आसनम्)

• अर्घ्यपाद्यादिकम्: arghya, pādya, and other offerings
• अर्घ्यपाद्यादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः—अर्घ्यं च पाद्यं च आदयः (offerings like arghya and pādya etc.)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (third-person)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The queen, seeing the foremost sage, bows at his feet and offers a shining golden seat and the welcome offerings—arghya, water for feet, and other upacāras.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (queen)
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honouring saints through atithi-dharma—salutation, seat, and offerings—is itself a purifier and a mark of righteous rule.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised; the verse emphasizes dharmic hospitality within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arghya, pādya, and offering an āsana to a visiting sage—standard rites of reception.