Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अष्टांगप्रणिपातेन तं प्रणम्य रघूत्तमः । परिष्यक्तो दृढं तेन सानन्देन महात्मना

Transliteration

aṣṭāṃgapraṇipātena taṃ praṇamya raghūttamaḥ | pariṣyakto dṛḍhaṃ tena sānandena mahātmanā

Translation

রঘুকুলশ্রেষ্ঠ শ্রীराम অষ্টাঙ্গ প্রণাম করে তাঁকে নমস্কার করলেন; তখন আনন্দে পূর্ণ সেই মহাত্মা তাঁকে দৃঢ়ভাবে আলিঙ্গন করলেন।

Word by Word

• अष्टाङ्गप्रणिपातेन: by eight-limbed prostration
• अष्टाङ्गप्रणिपातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa + aṅga + praṇipāta (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अष्टानाम् अङ्गानाम् प्रणिपातः)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nam (नम् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वक्रिया

• रघूत्तमः: the best of the Raghus (Rama)
• रघूत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raghu + uttama (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रघोः उत्तमः)

• परिष्वक्तः: was embraced
• परिष्वक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√ṣvaj (ष्वज् धातु) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे (passive sense: ‘was embraced’)

• दृढम्: firmly
• दृढम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• सानन्देन: joyful
• सानन्देन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-ānanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (महात्मना)

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + ātman (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा यस्य/महान् आत्मा)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma performs aṣṭāṅga-pranipāta before Agastya; the sage lifts and embraces him firmly, eyes bright with joy; hermitage fire and ritual vessels nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Agastya (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility (praṇipāta) before the wise invites grace, affection, and spiritual uplift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is the sage’s āśrama-region, made sacred by the presence and blessings of a mahātma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aṣṭāṅga-praṇipāta (prostration with eight limbs) as proper reverential conduct.