Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अथ ते तापसाः सर्वे स च राजा ससेवकः । प्रसुप्ताः पादपस्याधः पर्णान्यास्तीर्यभूतले

Transliteration

atha te tāpasāḥ sarve sa ca rājā sasevakaḥ | prasuptāḥ pādapasyādhaḥ parṇānyāstīryabhūtale

Translation

ຕໍ່ມາ ບັນດາຕາປະສະທັງປວງ ແລະພະຣາຊາພ້ອມຂ້າລາຊບໍລິພານ ໄດ້ນອນພັກຢູ່ໃຕ້ຕົ້ນໄມ້ ໂດຍປູໃບໄມ້ລົງເທິງພື້ນດິນ।

Word by Word

• अथ: then/thereupon
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (they/those)

• तापसाः: ascetics
• तापसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of तापसाः)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (and)

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ससेवकः: with attendants
• ससेवकः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-सेवक (प्रातिपदिक; स + सेवक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/सह-समासार्थ (with attendants)

• प्रसुप्ताः: having fallen asleep/asleep
• प्रसुप्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-स्वप् (धातु) → प्रसुप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of तापसाः/ते)

• पादपस्य: of the tree
• पादपस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अधः: below/under
• अधः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक अव्यय (below/under)

• पर्णानि: leaves
• पर्णानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• आस्तीर्य: having spread (out)
• आस्तीर्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-स्तॄ (धातु) → आस्तीर्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having spread)

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moonlit forest clearing: ascetics and a king with attendants lie beneath a broad-canopied tree; leaf-mats spread on earth; minimal belongings; calm faces; the tree as protective shelter.

Characters & Entities

• tāpasāḥ (ascetics)
• rājā (king)
• sevakāḥ (attendants)
• pādapa (tree)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even rulers benefit from simplicity and humility; travelling in sacred contexts encourages austerity and minimalism.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it describes the travellers’ resting practice within the Māhātmya journey.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; it depicts austere conduct—resting simply on leaf-bedding beneath a tree.