Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

ते दृष्ट्वाऽदृष्टपूर्वं तं राजलक्षणलक्षितम् । धूलिधूसरितांगं च भस्मावृतमिवाचलम्

Transliteration

te dṛṣṭvā'dṛṣṭapūrvaṃ taṃ rājalakṣaṇalakṣitam | dhūlidhūsaritāṃgaṃ ca bhasmāvṛtamivācalam

Translation

Le voyant—lui qu’ils n’avaient jamais vu auparavant—mais marqué des signes de la royauté, et le corps grisé par la poussière, tel une montagne couverte de cendre, ils le remarquèrent.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having seen)

• अदृष्टपूर्वम्: never seen before
• अदृष्टपूर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त) + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular); विशेषणम्

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• राजलक्षणलक्षितम्: marked with royal characteristics
• राजलक्षणलक्षितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāja (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣita (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular); विशेषणम्; (राजलक्षणैः) लक्षितः = marked by royal signs

• धूलिधूसरिताङ्गम्: whose body was dust-grimed
• धूलिधूसरिताङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhūli (प्रातिपदिक) + dhūsarita (कृदन्त) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular); विशेषणम्; धूल्या धूसरितम् अङ्गं यस्य

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (Conjunction)

• भस्मावृतम्: covered with ash
• भस्मावृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhasman (प्रातिपदिक) + āvṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular); विशेषणम्; भस्मना आवृतम्

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Upamāna-marker (Simile/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (Particle of comparison)

• अचलम्: a mountain
• अचलम्: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: acala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (narrative continuation implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Villagers/attendants behold a dust-greyed stranger whose bearing and auspicious royal marks contradict his travel-worn body; the contrast creates wonder at a sacred landscape’s edge.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer status fades on the pilgrim-road; endurance and humility mark spiritual readiness more than royal splendor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene occurs at the rishi-āśrama by the lake referenced earlier; this verse does not name the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the ash/dust imagery suggests austerity and the stripping away of ego as part of the pilgrim’s discipline.