Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

श्राद्धादनंतरं राजन्दृष्ट्वा तं श्रद्धयाऽन्वितम् । पादावमर्द्दनपरं प्रणिपातपुरः सरम्

Transliteration

śrāddhādanaṃtaraṃ rājandṛṣṭvā taṃ śraddhayā'nvitam | pādāvamarddanaparaṃ praṇipātapuraḥ saram

Translation

«Ô Roi, aussitôt après le śrāddha, le voyant rempli de foi—appliqué à masser les pieds et le premier à se prosterner—(ils s’adressèrent à lui…).»

Word by Word

• श्राद्धात्: after/from the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Kriya-vishesana (Temporal adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (immediately after)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) त्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• अन्वितम्: endowed (with)
• अन्वितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित (कृदन्त; √अन्वि/अनु+इ (धातु) क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘युक्तम्’

• पाद-अवमर्द्दन-परम्: intent on massaging the feet
• पाद-अवमर्द्दन-परम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + अवमर्द्दन (प्रातिपदिक; √मृद्/मर्द् + अव उपसर्ग, ल्युट्) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पादस्य अवमर्द्दने परः)

• प्रणिपात-पुरःसरम्: preceded by prostration
• प्रणिपात-पुरःसरम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणिपात (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (प्रणिपातः पुरः यस्य)

Speaker

Narrative voice within Bhartṛyajña episode (contextual narrator)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘O King’ indicates a narrator addressing a royal interlocutor within the purāṇic frame (exact speakers not specified in the provided excerpt).

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, still in ritual attire, bows low and massages the brāhmaṇas’ feet; brāhmaṇas look upon him with approval; the atmosphere is tender, reverent, and ethically charged.

Characters & Entities

• Rājan (king)
• Śrāddha
• Brāhmaṇas (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True merit in rites is paired with humility—service and reverence toward the worthy are portrayed as extensions of śrāddha-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits inside a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, yet the focus here is ethical posture (seva and praṇipāta) rather than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It highlights customary reverential actions after śrāddha: prostration and service to the brāhmaṇas who participated.