Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तं दीनवदनं दृष्ट्वा निःष्वसंतं मुहुर्मुहुः । भूयः प्रोवाच सौमित्रिर्विनयावनतः स्थितः

Transliteration

taṃ dīnavadanaṃ dṛṣṭvā niḥṣvasaṃtaṃ muhurmuhuḥ | bhūyaḥ provāca saumitrirvinayāvanataḥ sthitaḥ

Translation

Le voyant le visage accablé et soupirant sans cesse, Saumitrī (Lakṣmaṇa), debout dans une humble déférence, parla de nouveau.

Word by Word

• tam: him
• tam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dīna: dejected
• dīna: Visheshana (Modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (समासाङ्ग) — 'wretched, dejected'

• vadanam: face
• vadanam: Karman (Object within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (समासात्)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव), 'having seen'

• niḥṣvasantam: sighing
• niḥṣvasantam: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: niḥ-√śvas (धातु; श्वस्)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), द्वितीया, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; उपसर्ग: निः

• muhuḥ: again and again
• muhuḥ: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• muhuḥ: repeatedly
• muhuḥ: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति—आवृत्तिबोध)

• bhūyaḥ: again, further
• bhūyaḥ: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरर्थक)

• provāca: said, spoke forth
• provāca: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु; वच्)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: प्र

• saumitriḥ: Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa)
• saumitriḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saumitri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषनाम (लक्ष्मणः)

• vinayāvanataḥ: bowed in humility
• vinayāvanataḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vinaya-avanata (प्रातिपदिक; विनय + अवनत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः—'bowed with humility'

• sthitaḥ: standing
• sthitaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त (भूतकृदन्त), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; 'standing/remaining'

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration); verse reports Lakṣmaṇa speaking

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lakṣmaṇa (Saumitrī) stands slightly bowed, hands folded or held respectfully, addressing a sorrowful lord whose face is downcast and breath heavy; the posture contrast highlights vinaya versus anguish.

Characters & Entities

• Saumitrī (Lakṣmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and respectful speech are upheld as dhārmic virtues even amid fear and sorrow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya frame; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single śloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is stated in this verse.