Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

कुतोऽपि ब्राह्मणैः सर्वेस्तापसैश्च प्रशंसितः । लब्धाशी प्रययौ तस्मादयोध्यानगरीं प्रति

Transliteration

kuto'pi brāhmaṇaiḥ sarvestāpasaiśca praśaṃsitaḥ | labdhāśī prayayau tasmādayodhyānagarīṃ prati

Translation

Von Brahmanen und Asketen von allen Seiten gepriesen und nachdem er seinen Lebensunterhalt empfangen hatte, brach er von dort zur Stadt Ayodhyā auf.

Word by Word

• कुतः: from where / somehow
• कुतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक-निपातः/Interrogative particle): “whence/why”

• अपि: even; somehow
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपातः/particle): emphasis/indefiniteness “even/also/somehow”

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), बहुवचनम्; Instrumental plural

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; adjective qualifying ब्राह्मणैः/तापसैः

• तापसैः: by ascetics
• तापसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Instrumental plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधकः/Conjunction)

• प्रशंसितः: praised
• प्रशंसितः: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-शंस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययः/Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; “praised”

• लब्धाशी: having obtained food; fed
• लब्धाशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + आशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: लब्धा आशी यस्य सः (आशी=आहारः/food); क्तान्त “लब्ध” + “आशी”; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• प्रययौ: went forth; departed
• प्रययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परस्मैपदम्, परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• तस्मात्: from there
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (अपादान), एकवचनम्; Ablative singular “from that (place)”

• अयोध्या-नगरीम्: the city of Ayodhyā
• अयोध्या-नगरीम्: Karma (Goal-object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक) + नगरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: अयोध्यायाः नगरी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Adhikarana (Directional/देश-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद-निपातः; direction marker)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lupta-tīrtha (implied chapter context within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, honored by brāhmaṇas and forest ascetics, receives simple alms and departs on foot toward Ayodhyā, carrying a staff and waterpot; the tīrtha grove recedes behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Tāpasas
• Ayodhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The dharmic seeker receives support and recognition from the righteous and continues onward—pilgrimage is sustained by community and discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse links the Lupta-tīrtha/Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative to Ayodhyā by describing the devotee’s onward journey.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it implies the pilgrim’s regulated livelihood (āhāra) while traveling.