Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ततः स पादौ प्रक्षाल्य मणिभद्रस्य सत्वरम् । उदकं साक्षतं हस्ते कन्यादानकृते ददौ

Transliteration

tataḥ sa pādau prakṣālya maṇibhadrasya satvaram | udakaṃ sākṣataṃ haste kanyādānakṛte dadau

Translation

Dann wusch er eilends Maṇibhadras Füße und legte ihm Wasser samt Akṣata (ungebrochenem Reis) in die Hand, um die Kanyādāna-Handlung, die Hingabe der Jungfrau zur Ehe, zu vollziehen.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Sequence/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• pādau: (his) two feet
• pādau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), द्विवचन; कर्म

• prakṣālya: having washed
• prakṣālya: Kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṣāl (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्)
• Form: ल्यप्-कृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• maṇibhadrasya: of Maṇibhadra
• maṇibhadrasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇibhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• satvaram: quickly; hastily
• satvaram: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; अव्यय (adverb)

• udakam: water
• udakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• sa-akṣatam: together with unbroken rice grains
• sa-akṣatam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sākṣata (प्रातिपदिक; स + अक्षत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to udakam)

• haste: in (his) hand
• haste: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• kanyā-dāna-kṛte: for the purpose of the daughter-gift (marriage donation)
• kanyā-dāna-kṛte: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyādānakṛta (प्रातिपदिक; कन्या + दान + कृत)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदानार्थ (for the act of giving the daughter)

• dadau: gave
• dadau: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Kṣatriya kneels to wash Maṇibhadra’s feet; a brass vessel pours water; a small bowl of akṣata is visible; Maṇibhadra extends his hand to receive udaka with rice—moment of formal kanyā-dāna initiation.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇibhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is enacted through reverent ritual gestures—honouring the recipient/guest and formally initiating sacred giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya stream in Nāgara Khaṇḍa, though the verse describes a household rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Washing the feet (pāda-prakṣālana) and giving water with akṣata into the hand as part of kanyā-dāna formalities.