Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

नमस्कृतेन तेनाऽपि प्रोक्तोऽहं पद्मयोनिना । दीर्घायुर्भव पृष्टश्च कुतस्त्वमिह चागतः

Transliteration

namaskṛtena tenā'pi prokto'haṃ padmayoninā | dīrghāyurbhava pṛṣṭaśca kutastvamiha cāgataḥ

Translation

আমি প্রণাম করলেও পদ্মযোনি পিতামহ ব্রহ্মা আমাকে বললেন—“দীর্ঘায়ু হও”; আবার জিজ্ঞাসা করলেন—“তুমি কোথা থেকে এখানে এসেছ?”

Word by Word

• नमस्कृतेन: by salutation / with reverence
• नमस्कृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस्कृत (कृदन्त; नमस् + √कृ (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) used as instrumental: 'by/with the act of salutation'

• तेन: by him / by that (one)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also / even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव

• प्रोक्तः: addressed / spoken to
• प्रोक्तः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वच् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव: 'having been spoken/addressed'

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पद्मयोनिना: by the lotus-born (Brahmā)
• पद्मयोनिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म-योनि (प्रातिपदिक); पद्म + योनि
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'whose womb/origin is the lotus' (Brahmā)

• दीर्घायुः: long-lived
• दीर्घायुः: Pradhana (Predicate/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ-आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'long + life' = 'long-lived' (used predicatively)

• भव: be (become)
• भव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पृष्टः: (I was) asked
• पृष्टः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पृच्छ् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'having been asked'

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

• कुतः: from where / whence
• कुतः: Adhikarana (Source-query/प्रश्न-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतस् (अव्यय/प्रश्न)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

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

• आगतः: have come / arrived
• आगतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √गम् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'having come' (arrived)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee bows; Brahmā (Padmayoni) seated on a lotus addresses him with a longevity blessing and asks his origin, while sages stand as witnesses near a hermitage-lake landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Padmayoni)
• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence opens divine dialogue; blessings are paired with discernment and inquiry into one’s purpose and path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the broader Tīrthamāhātmya narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (reverential salutation) is implied as proper conduct before a deity/creator figure.