Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

उपगम्य विनम्रः स प्रबद्धकरसंपुटः । ध्रुवो विज्ञापयांचक्रे प्रणम्य ललितं वचः

Transliteration

upagamya vinamraḥ sa prabaddhakarasaṃpuṭaḥ | dhruvo vijñāpayāṃcakre praṇamya lalitaṃ vacaḥ

Translation

Demütig trat er heran, die Hände ehrfürchtig zum Añjali gefaltet; Dhruva verneigte sich und brachte dann sanfte, respektvolle Worte vor.

Word by Word

• उपगम्य: having approached
• उपगम्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having approached)

• विनम्रः: humble
• विनम्रः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनम्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying सः/ध्रुवः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• प्रबद्ध-कर-संपुटः: with hands joined (in reverence)
• प्रबद्ध-कर-संपुटः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + बद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + कर + संपुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (करसंपुट = folded hands; ‘with hands joined’)

• ध्रुवः: Dhruva
• ध्रुवः: Karta (Subject; apposition to सः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• विज्ञापयाम्: to inform
• विज्ञापयाम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा + णिच् (धातु)
• Form: णमुल्/तुमुनादि-प्रयोगे ‘विज्ञापयाम्’ (infinitival/absolutive-like in periphrastic perfect construction); ‘to inform’ (purpose element with चक्रे)

• चक्रे: did/made (i.e., proceeded)
• चक्रे: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having bowed)

• ललितम्: gentle/pleasant
• ललितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ललित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वचः)

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dhruva steps forward with deep humility, hands joined in añjali, head bowed; the sages sit composed, receiving his respectful, gentle petition.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Saptarṣi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility, reverence, and gentle speech are dharmic prerequisites for receiving guidance from the wise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It models proper conduct (ācāra): approaching elders/sages with añjali and praṇāma.