Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

निपेतुः प्रणिपत्यैनं प्रणतः कमलापतिः । शिरस्यंजलिमारोप्य स्तुत्वा बहुविधैः स्तवैः

Transliteration

nipetuḥ praṇipatyainaṃ praṇataḥ kamalāpatiḥ | śirasyaṃjalimāropya stutvā bahuvidhaiḥ stavaiḥ

Translation

They fell down, bowing before Him; and Kamalāpati (Viṣṇu), humbled, placed his folded hands upon his head and praised Him with many kinds of hymns.

Word by Word

• निपेतुः: fell down
• निपेतुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• प्रणिपत्य: having bowed down
• प्रणिपत्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र+नि+पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive)

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद्/इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enam = 'him')

• प्रणतः: bowed, prostrate
• प्रणतः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र+नम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कमलापतिः: Kamalāpati (Viṣṇu)
• कमलापतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमला + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (lord of Kamalā = Lakṣmī)

• शिरसि: on (his) head
• शिरसि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अञ्जलिम्: folded hands; añjali
• अञ्जलिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आरोप्य: having placed (raised)
• आरोप्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ+रुह्/आ+रुप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive); causative sense 'placing/raising' in usage

• स्तुत्वा: having praised
• स्तुत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive)

• बहुविधैः: with many kinds of
• बहुविधैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (many kinds)

• स्तवैः: hymns
• स्तवैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhairava/Mahākāla (object of stuti)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, serene yet humbled, kneels with folded hands lifted to his crown, eyes lowered in devotion, while Bhairava stands central; surrounding devas and sages remain bowed, forming a devotional amphitheater.

Characters & Entities

• Kamalāpati (Viṣṇu)
• Lakṣmī (implied)
• Bhairava/Mahākāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through body (praṇāma), gesture (añjali), and speech (stotra)—a complete offering of self.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Kāśī, by highlighting Bhairava/Mahākāla’s exalted status in the Kāśī tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praise through stotras and reverential añjali, alongside prostration, is presented as proper worship.