Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तेषामनंतरं सोऽपि नमश्चक्रे पितामहम् । बालः प्रोक्तश्च दीर्घायुर्भवेति च स्वयंभुवा

Transliteration

teṣāmanaṃtaraṃ so'pi namaścakre pitāmaham | bālaḥ proktaśca dīrghāyurbhaveti ca svayaṃbhuvā

Translation

Nach ihnen verneigte sich auch der Knabe und erwies Pitāmaha (Brahmā) seine Ehrerbietung. Und der selbstgeborene Herr sprach: „Möge dieses Kind langes Leben haben.“

Word by Word

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; तेषाम् = of them

• anantaram: afterwards
• anantaram: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anantara (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (afterwards/immediately after)

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

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Karma (Object-like complement of cakre/कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, नमस्कारार्थक (salutation particle)

• cakre: made (offered)
• cakre: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; चक्रे = he did/made

• pitāmaham: to Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• pitāmaham: Sampradana/Karma (Recipient/object of salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; पितामहम् = Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

• bālaḥ: the boy
• bālaḥ: Karta (Subject of implied ‘abhavat’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बालः = the boy

• proktaḥ: was declared
• proktaḥ: Kriya (Participial predicate/कृदन्त-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रोक्तः = was told/was declared

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• dīrghāyuḥ: long-lived
• dīrghāyuḥ: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīrgha + āyus (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; दीर्घ-आयुः = long-lived (predicate adjective of bālaḥ)

• bhava: be
• bhava: Kriya (Quoted imperative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; भव = be!

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इति-समाप्त्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• svayaṃbhuvā: by Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)
• svayaṃbhuvā: Karana (Agent/instrument in passive sense/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svayaṃbhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; स्वयंभुवा = by Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)

Speaker

Narrator (reporting Brahmā’s blessing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmā-sannidhi / Brahmaloka

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The boy bows after the sages; Brahmā, serene and radiant, pronounces a blessing of long life, with lotus motifs and a gentle aura of restoration around the child.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)
• boy/brahmacārin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence culminates in grace: when approached properly, the divine source of order can overturn impending misfortune with blessing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene is in Brahmaloka with Brahmā; no named earthly tīrtha is praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The modeled practice is respectful bowing (namaskāra) before the deity, leading to a boon (āśīrvāda) for longevity.