Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

अथ तां तत्र संवीक्ष्य दारुणे तपसि स्थिताम् । प्रणिपत्य स्थितो दीनः सदुःखो वाक्यमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

atha tāṃ tatra saṃvīkṣya dāruṇe tapasi sthitām | praṇipatya sthito dīnaḥ saduḥkho vākyamabravīt

Translation

La voyant là, établie dans une austérité terrible, il se prosterna; puis, debout, accablé de peine et de détresse, il prononça ces paroles.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Adverbial location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• संवीक्ष्य: having seen
• संवीक्ष्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-वीक्ष् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having seen’

• दारुणे: terrible, severe
• दारुणे: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with ‘तपसि’)

• तपसि: in penance
• तपसि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• स्थिताम्: standing/remaining
• स्थिताम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) ‘स्थित’
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मणि/विधेय (as object qualifier: ‘her who was staying’)

• प्रणिपत्य: having prostrated
• प्रणिपत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नि-पत् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having bowed down’

• स्थितः: stood
• स्थितः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) ‘स्थित’
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; विधेय (stood)

• दीनः: wretched, humble
• दीनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘सः’ understood)

• स-दुःखः: sorrowful
• स-दुःखः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘दुःखेन सह’/‘दुःखयुक्तः’ = sorrowful)

• वाक्यम्: words, a speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् लकार (imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Śatānanda’s speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śatānanda beholds his mother emaciated yet radiant in tapas; he prostrates, then rises with tearful face to speak.

Characters & Entities

• Śatānanda (implied)
• tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence and compassion frame spiritual counsel; humility precedes meaningful guidance in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The encounter takes place in the same sacred kṣetra celebrated in this chapter’s Tīrthamāhātmya, connected to Hāṭakeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prostration (praṇipāta) as an act of reverence before speaking and advising.