Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

भगवन्स्व नयो राजा साष्टांगं प्रणिपत्य तु । त्वां प्राह प्रश्रितं वाक्यं मन्मुखेन शृणुष्व तत्

Transliteration

bhagavansva nayo rājā sāṣṭāṃgaṃ praṇipatya tu | tvāṃ prāha praśritaṃ vākyaṃ manmukhena śṛṇuṣva tat

Translation

ഭഗവൻ, രാജാവ് സ്വനയൻ സാഷ്ടാംഗ നമസ്കാരം ചെയ്ത് നിങ്ങളോട് വിനീതവചനം പറഞ്ഞു; അത് എന്റെ വായിൽ നിന്ന് കേൾക്കുക.

Word by Word

• भगवन्: O Blessed one/Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• स्व: own
• स्व: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्राय विशेषण used as पूर्वपद; समासाङ्ग

• नयः: (the one of) his own policy/discipline
• नयः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; स्व-नयः = तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्राय (one of own policy/discipline)

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

• स: with
• स: Avyaya (Comitative prefix)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्ग-सदृश)
• Form: सहार्थक-पूर्वपद (with), समासाङ्ग

• अष्ट: eight
• अष्ट: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), समासाङ्ग

• अङ्गम्: with eight limbs (prostration)
• अङ्गम्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: अष्ट अङ्गानि यस्य/अष्टाङ्गम् (as adverbial accusative)

• प्रणिपत्य: having bowed down
• प्रणिपत्य: Kriya-vishesana (Gerundial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-नि-पत् (धातु) + ल्यप् → प्रणिपत्य
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having prostrated)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह्/अह् (धातु; √अह् ‘to say’)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रश्रितम्: humble, respectful
• प्रश्रितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-श्रि (धातु) + क्त → प्रश्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वाक्यम् इति विशेष्य

• वाक्यम्: speech, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक (mad-), समासाङ्ग

• मुखेन: through (my) mouth
• मुखेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मम मुखेन

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Imperative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sudarśana (conveying Svanaya’s message to Dīrghatamas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sudarśana, as messenger, recounts the king’s full prostration; the sage listens attentively, seated in composed stillness; a sense of formal message-delivery.

Characters & Entities

• Sudarśana
• Svanaya
• Dīrghatamas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It affirms that true kingship is refined by humility—honoring sages through full prostration and respectful speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is invoked; the verse spotlights reverence within the sacred setting of a sage’s āśrama.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sāṣṭāṅga praṇāma (eight-limbed prostration) is described as an act of reverence.