Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अथ गत्वा स राजेन्द्रो दूरस्थोऽपि प्रणम्य तम् । अष्टांगेन प्रणामेन स्वनाम परिकीर्तयन्

Transliteration

atha gatvā sa rājendro dūrastho'pi praṇamya tam | aṣṭāṃgena praṇāmena svanāma parikīrtayan

Translation

Alors le roi s’avança ; même de loin il se prosterna devant lui, offrant la révérence des huit membres (aṣṭāṅga praṇāma) et prononçant avec respect son propre nom.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• राजेन्द्रः: the king (lord of kings)
• राजेन्द्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज-इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: राज (king) + इन्द्र (lord); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दूरस्थः: standing at a distance
• दूरस्थः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूर-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दूर (far) + स्थ (standing); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of rājendra)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक (even/also)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र+नम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकाल (having bowed)

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

• अष्टाङ्गेन: with eight limbs (prostration)
• अष्टाङ्गेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट-अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अष्ट (eight) + अङ्ग (limb); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of praṇāmena)

• प्रणामेन: by a salutation/prostration
• प्रणामेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• स्वनाम: his own name
• स्वनाम: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्व (one's own) + नामन् (name); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• परिकीर्तयन्: uttering/proclaiming
• परिकीर्तयन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+कीर्त् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-भावे (concomitant action with main verb implied)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in a māhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king advances toward the radiant sage but bows from afar, performing aṣṭāṅga-praṇāma; attendants remain behind; the sage sits unmoved in meditation beneath the tree.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• mahīpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True nobility is humility—honoring sages with full reverence is presented as dharma for rulers and pilgrims alike.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The āśrama-tīrtha is implicitly glorified as a place where proper dharmic conduct toward sages is practiced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aṣṭāṅga-praṇāma (full prostration) is shown as an act of reverence, though not framed as a formal injunction.