Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अथासौ ब्राह्मणान्सर्वान्विसृज्याहितदक्षिणान् । कृतांजलिपुटो भूत्वा वसिष्ठमिदमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

athāsau brāhmaṇānsarvānvisṛjyāhitadakṣiṇān | kṛtāṃjalipuṭo bhūtvā vasiṣṭhamidamabravīt

Translation

Alors il congédia tous les brahmanes, après leur avoir dûment offert la dakṣiṇā; puis, les mains jointes en vénération, il adressa à Vasiṣṭha ces paroles.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक-निपातः (then/now)

• असौ: that man (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्राह्मणान्: the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ब्राह्मणान्)

• विसृज्य: having dismissed
• विसृज्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययकृदन्त; अर्थः: having dismissed/sent away

• आहितदक्षिणान्: to whom fees/gifts had been given
• आहितदक्षिणान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आहित + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ब्राह्मणान्); समासः: तत्पुरुष (आहिता दक्षिणा येषां ते)

• कृतांजलिपुटः: with hands folded in reverence
• कृतांजलिपुटः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + अञ्जलि + पुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (असौ); समासः: तत्पुरुष (कृतः अञ्जलि-पुटः यस्य)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययकृदन्त; अर्थः: having become

• वसिष्ठम्: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, having concluded the satra, distributes dakṣiṇā to Brahmins; then, with folded hands, he turns toward Vasiṣṭha, poised to speak with reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Vasiṣṭha
• King (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual success is sealed by gratitude and giving—dakṣiṇā and reverence to sages are integral to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it continues the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving dakṣiṇā to Brahmins upon completion and offering respectful añjali before addressing the guru.