Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

ततः संगृह्य पादौ च गौतमस्य महात्मनः । प्रोवाच वचनं शक्रः सर्वदेवसमागमे

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃgṛhya pādau ca gautamasya mahātmanaḥ | provāca vacanaṃ śakraḥ sarvadevasamāgame

Translation

Alors Śakra, saisissant les pieds du magnanime Gautama, prononça ces paroles au sein de l’assemblée de tous les dieux.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Temporal (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘then/from there’

• संगृह्य: having grasped
• संगृह्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-√ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having grasped’

• पादौ: (the two) feet
• पादौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), द्विवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गौतमस्य: of Gautama
• गौतमस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled (sage)
• महात्मनः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘great-souled’

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke forth
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वचनम्: words, speech
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सर्वदेवसमागमे: in the gathering of all the gods
• सर्वदेवसमागमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-देव-समागम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘in the assembly/meeting of all gods’

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra clasps Gautama’s feet in full humility while the gods gather around; the scene emphasizes the reversal of hierarchy—deva-king honoring a human sage.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Gautama Ṛṣi
• Sarvadeva-samāgama (assembly of gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility before spiritual authority is itself dharma, even for the king of the gods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha-context frames the episode; this verse spotlights reverence to the sage rather than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied devotional act: pādasevā/pādavandana—reverently holding or bowing to the teacher’s feet.