Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

पतित्वा पादयोस्तस्य कृतार्थास्मीत्यभाषत । तस्मिन्नेव महाक्षेत्रे तस्मादेव द्विजोत्तमात्

Transliteration

patitvā pādayostasya kṛtārthāsmītyabhāṣata | tasminneva mahākṣetre tasmādeva dvijottamāt

Translation

Falling at his feet, she said, “My purpose is fulfilled.” In that very great sacred field, from that very excellent brāhmaṇa, she received further guidance.

Word by Word

• पतित्वा: having fallen (down)
• पतित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), धातु: पत् (to fall)

• पादयोः: at/on the two feet
• पादयोः: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी?—द्विवचन, रूप: पादयोः (Genitive/Dative? actually षष्ठी/सप्तमी द्विवचन: of/in the two feet)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कृतार्था: fulfilled, having achieved the purpose
• कृतार्था: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतार्थ (प्रातिपदिक; कृ + अर्थ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriyā (Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्तिसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• अभाषत: she/he spoke
• अभाषत: Kriyā (Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha-dyotaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• महाक्षेत्रे: in the great sacred field (holy place)
• महाक्षेत्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; महा + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha-dyotaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• द्विजोत्तमात्: from the best of the twice-born (excellent Brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (describing the woman’s act of surrender and the setting)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: mahākṣetra (name not specified in excerpt)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted woman prostrates at the feet of an eminent brāhmaṇa within a sacred precinct; the atmosphere is quiet, temple-like, with pilgrims and trees/ghāṭa elements suggesting a kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijottama (excellent brāhmaṇa)
• Woman devotee (nārī)
• Mahākṣetra (great sacred region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and surrender to a worthy teacher, especially in a sacred place, opens the way to transformative instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers generally to a “mahākṣetra” (great sacred region) without naming the site in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guru-pāda-vandana (reverence at the teacher’s feet) as an expression of śaraṇāgati.