Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्रोवाच प्रांजलिर्वाक्यं हर्ष गद्गदया गिरा । ब्रह्मादींस्तान्सुरान्दृष्ट्वा विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः

Transliteration

provāca prāṃjalirvākyaṃ harṣa gadgadayā girā | brahmādīṃstānsurāndṛṣṭvā vismayotphullalocanaḥ

Translation

合掌して、喜びに声を詰まらせつつ言葉を述べた。梵天を先頭とする神々を見て、驚嘆に目を大きく見開いた。

Word by Word

• provāca: said, spoke forth
• provāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• prāñjaliḥ: (one) with folded hands
• prāñjaliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāñjali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• vākyam: speech, statement
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• harṣa: O Joy! (address)
• harṣa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: harṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (8th case/vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• gadgadayā: with a faltering (choked)
• gadgadayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gadgada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (singular)

• girā: voice, speech
• girā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gir (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (singular)

• brahmādīn: Brahmā and others
• brahmādīn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन (plural)

• tān: those
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन (plural)

• surān: gods
• surān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन (plural)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), ‘having seen’

• vismayotphullalocanaḥ: whose eyes were wide-open in amazement
• vismayotphullalocanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vismaya + utphulla + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Agastya (deduced from immediate narrative: the sage addresses the arriving gods)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cāmatkārapura

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee/hero stands with folded hands, eyes widened in wonder, addressing a radiant assembly of Brahmā and other devas who appear in the tīrtha-kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Brahmā
• devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence (namaskāra, folded hands) and humble speech are marks of true spiritual stature, even when addressing the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Agastya’s āśrama within Camatkārapura-kṣetra, a sacred locus in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The gesture of prāñjali (folded hands) is shown as devotional etiquette; no formal rite is detailed.