Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

प्रोवाच लक्ष्मणं वत्स पर्णान्यास्तीर्य भूतले । शय्यां कुरु समानीय पादशौचाय सज्जलम्

Transliteration

provāca lakṣmaṇaṃ vatsa parṇānyāstīrya bhūtale | śayyāṃ kuru samānīya pādaśaucāya sajjalam

Translation

Er sagte zu Lakṣmaṇa: „Mein Lieber, breite Blätter auf dem Boden aus und bereite ein Lager; und bring Wasser herbei, bereit zur Waschung der Füße.“

Word by Word

• provāca: said, spoke
• provāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• lakṣmaṇam: to Lakshmana
• lakṣmaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vatsa: dear child
• vatsa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• parṇāni: leaves
• parṇāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• āstīrya: having spread
• āstīrya: Sambandha (पूर्वकाल/preceding action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā + √stṛ (धातु) + āstīrya (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund)

• bhūtale: on the ground
• bhūtale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भूतेः तलम्/भूमेः तलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śayyām: a bed
• śayyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śayyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kuru: make
• kuru: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• samānīya: having brought
• samānīya: Sambandha (पूर्वकाल/preceding action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam + ā + √nī (धातु) + samānīya (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund)

• pādaśaucāya: for washing/cleansing the feet
• pādaśaucāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda + śauca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पादस्य शौचम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (dative singular)

• sajjalam: with water, water-filled
• sajjalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (स-जलम् = जलयुक्तम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; (qualifying an implied 'pātram/udakam')

Speaker

Narrator (reporting Rāma’s words)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma instructs Lakṣmaṇa: spread leaves on the ground for a bed and bring water for foot-washing; the camp is modest, with leaf-littered earth and a water pot nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (implied)
• Lakṣmaṇa
• pāda-śauca (foot-washing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple living, cleanliness, and mutual service are marks of dharma—especially while dwelling near sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in a tīrtha-glorification chapter, but the site name is not present in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Foot-washing (pāda-śauca) and preparing a resting place as part of evening discipline and hospitality.