Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

अथ सा विस्मिता साध्वी समाहूय नृपात्मजम् । स्वपुत्रं प्रतिनंद्याह मानयन्ती शिवार्चनम्

Transliteration

atha sā vismitā sādhvī samāhūya nṛpātmajam | svaputraṃ pratinaṃdyāha mānayantī śivārcanam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ആ സദ്ഗുണവതി സ്ത്രീ അത്ഭുതപ്പെട്ടു രാജപുത്രനെ വിളിച്ചു. സ്വന്തം മകനെ അനുഗ്രഹിച്ച്, ശിവാരാധനയെ ആദരിച്ച് അവൾ പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (conjunctive particle: then/now)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विस्मिता: astonished
• विस्मिता: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vismita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (astonished)

• साध्वी: the virtuous lady
• साध्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गुणवाचक-नाम (virtuous woman)

• समाहूय: having called/summoned
• समाहूय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ā + hū (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-तुल्य कृदन्त (Gerund in -ya; ल्यप्), पूर्वक्रिया

• नृपात्मजम्: the king’s son
• नृपात्मजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—नृपस्य आत्मजः (king's son)

• स्वपुत्रम्: her own son
• स्वपुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—स्वः पुत्रः (one's own son)

• प्रतिनन्द्य: having greeted/commended
• प्रतिनन्द्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati + nand (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-तुल्य कृदन्त (Gerund in -ya; ल्यप्), पूर्वक्रिया

• आह: said
• आह: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• मानयन्ती: honoring/revering
• मानयन्ती: Karta (Subject/agent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mān (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present active participle), परस्मैपदी; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शिवार्चनम्: Śiva-worship
• शिवार्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—शिवस्य अर्चनम् (worship of Śiva)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; unspecified in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A virtuous mother, surprised yet composed, calls the prince/son near, blesses him with a raised hand, and gestures toward a simple Śiva-worship setup, indicating reverence before action.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True virtue recognizes divine grace as rooted in worship and encourages dharmic action guided by reverence for Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse highlights the merit of Śivārcana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivārcana (worship of Śiva) is implicitly upheld as the source of merit behind the blessing.