Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 162

Devanagari script

स्फुरताधरयुग्मेन बाष्पगद्गदया गिरा । मया चेत्सुतपस्तप्तं गुरुशुश्रूषया सदा

Transliteration

sphuratādharayugmena bāṣpagadgadayā girā | mayā cetsutapastaptaṃ guruśuśrūṣayā sadā

Translation

Mit bebenden Lippen und einer von Tränen erstickten Stimme sprach er: „Wenn ich wahrhaft edle Askese geübt habe, stets durch hingebungsvollen Dienst an meinem Guru…“

Word by Word

• स्फुरत्: trembling, quivering
• स्फुरत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फुर् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present participle), समासे पूर्वपद; 'अधर' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अधर: of the lips
• अधर: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive) द्विवचन/समासे पूर्वपद (intended: 'of lips')

• युग्मेन: with the pair (of lips)
• युग्मेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—स्फुरदधरयुग्म (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: 'स्फुरत् अधरयोः युग्मम्')

• बाष्प: of tears
• बाष्प: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन/समासे पूर्वपद

• गद्गदया: choked with tears
• गद्गदया: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गद्गद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; 'गिरा' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; समासः—बाष्पगद्गदया (कर्मधारयः: 'बाष्पेण गद्गदा')

• गिरा: with (his) voice
• गिरा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• मया: by me / I
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• सुतपः: good/great austerity
• सुतपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—सुतपस् (कर्मधारयः: 'सु-तपस्' = 'उत्तमं तपः')

• तप्तम्: performed, undergone
• तप्तम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object attribute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'सुतपः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गुरु: of the teacher
• गुरु: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन/समासे पूर्वपद

• शुश्रूषया: by service to the teacher
• शुश्रूषया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—गुरुशुश्रूषया (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'गुरोः शुश्रूषया')

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Disciple (speaker within the story; name not given in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The disciple speaks through tears, lips trembling, hands folded or raised in vow-like gesture, invoking the merit of his lifelong guru-service as the basis for a truth-powered declaration.

Characters & Entities

• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas is inseparable from humble service to the guru; spiritual merit is invoked as a moral force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicitly stated in this verse; it supports the broader tīrtha-narrative framework of the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it highlights guru-sevā as a core dharmic discipline.