Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 127

Devanagari script

पादौ प्रसारयेन्नैव गुरुदेवाग्निसंमुखौ । चतुष्पथं चैत्यतरुं देवागारं तथा यतिम्

Transliteration

pādau prasārayennaiva gurudevāgnisaṃmukhau | catuṣpathaṃ caityataruṃ devāgāraṃ tathā yatim

Translation

Man soll niemals die Füße ausstrecken, dem Guru, den Devas oder dem heiligen Feuer zugewandt. Ebenso gebührt Ehrfurcht gegenüber der Kreuzung, dem heiligen Schreinbaum, dem Tempel und einem Asketen (Yati).

Word by Word

• pādau: (one’s) two feet
• pādau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), द्विवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Dual)

• prasārayet: should stretch out
• prasārayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prasṛ (प्रसृ, धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• eva: indeed/at all
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• guru-deva-agni-saṃmukhau: in front of the guru, deity, and fire
• guru-deva-agni-saṃmukhau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Locative, Dual); विशेषण—‘समक्षे’ (in the presence of)

• catuṣpatham: a crossroads
• catuṣpatham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catuṣpatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• caityatarum: a sacred/monumental tree
• caityatarum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caitya (प्रातिपदिक) + taru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• devāgāram: a temple (house of a deity)
• devāgāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + āgāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/also)

• yatim: an ascetic
• yatim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim rests near a temple path; seeing a guru, a homa-fire, and a saffron-clad yati, the pilgrim folds legs respectfully. In the background: a crossroads with a small shrine-tree wrapped in cloth and offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence is embodied: posture and behavior before sacred persons, places, and symbols is itself a form of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse highlights sacred loci such as temples, shrine-trees, and crossroads as deserving respect.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not stretch the feet toward guru/deity/sacred fire; maintain respectful conduct near temples, sacred trees, and ascetics.