Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तोषयित्वाद्रितनया दण्डवत्प्रणिपत्य च । जग्राह पादयुगलं तां प्रोवाच दयापरः

Transliteration

toṣayitvādritanayā daṇḍavatpraṇipatya ca | jagrāha pādayugalaṃ tāṃ provāca dayāparaḥ

Translation

അദ്രിതനയ അവനെ പ്രസന്നനാക്കി ദണ്ഡവത് പ്രണാമം ചെയ്തു, അവന്റെ പാദയുഗളം പിടിച്ചു. അപ്പോൾ ദയാപരനായ പ്രഭു അവളോടു പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• toṣayitvā: having pleased
• toṣayitvā: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tuṣ (धातु) → toṣayitvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘तोषयित्वा’ = having pleased (causative nuance)

• adritanayā: by the mountain’s daughter (Pārvatī)
• adritanayā: Karana (Instrument/Agent in gerund context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adri + tanayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—अद्रि + तनया (तत्पुरुष: अद्रेः तनया)

• daṇḍavat: prostrating fully
• daṇḍavat: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: daṇḍavat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb): ‘like a staff’ = prostrate

• praṇipatya: having bowed
• praṇipatya: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√nam (धातु) → praṇipatya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), ‘प्रणिपत्य’ = having bowed down

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• jagrāha: took, grasped
• jagrāha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pādayugalam: the pair of feet
• pādayugalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda + yugala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—पाद + युगल (तत्पुरुष: पादयोः युगलम्)

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• provāca: said to (her)
• provāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• dayāparaḥ: one devoted to compassion
• dayāparaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dayā + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—दयायां परः (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Śiva–Pārvatī dialogue)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Purāṇic discourse (implied), while the immediate exchange is Śiva addressing Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī performs daṇḍavat prostration and grasps Śiva’s feet; Śiva, moved by compassion, begins to speak—an intimate moment of grace and instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī (Aditanaya)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and surrender precede higher knowledge; the compassionate teacher responds when approached with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse emphasizes devotional conduct within the dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daṇḍavat-praṇipāta (full prostration) is exemplified as a devotional act, though not framed as a formal vow.