Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

प्रणिपातं प्रकृत्वाथ ततः प्रोवाच सादरम् । मदीयस्थान संस्थानां ब्राह्मणानां विशेषतः

Transliteration

praṇipātaṃ prakṛtvātha tataḥ provāca sādaram | madīyasthāna saṃsthānāṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Nachdem er ehrerbietig niedergefallen war, sprach er sodann mit Achtung—besonders zu den Brahmanen, die in seinem eigenen Herrschaftsgebiet ansässig und auf ihre Dienstsitze bestellt waren.

Word by Word

• praṇipātam: prostration; obeisance
• praṇipātam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇipāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• prakṛtvā: having performed
• prakṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṛ (धातु) + त्वा; prakṛtvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund): 'having done/made'

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• tataḥ: thereupon
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (thereupon)

• provāca: said; spoke
• provāca: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• sādaram: respectfully
• sādaram: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sādara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: 'respectfully')

• madīya-sthāna-saṃsthānām: of the Brahmins residing in my place/establishment
• madīya-sthāna-saṃsthānām: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madīya (प्रातिपदिक) + sthāna (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मदीये स्थाने संस्थानाः), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; ब्राह्मणानाम् इति विशेषण

• brāhmaṇānām: of the Brahmins
• brāhmaṇānām: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (especially)

Speaker

Narrator (within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gartā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king bows (praṇipāta) before an assembly of brāhmaṇas seated on designated seats; the atmosphere is formal yet devotional, with ritual implements and manuscripts indicating their established service.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility before spiritual authority is part of rajadharma; honoring brāhmaṇas sustains dharma at sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it continues the Gartā-tīrtha-related episode in the surrounding passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇipāta (obeisance) is shown as a dharmic act of respect; no further rite is specified.