Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

जलार्द्राक्षतपाणिश्च स्वस्त्युक्त्वा पृथिवीभुजे । कृतप्रणामो राज्ञाथ भेजे तद्दत्तमासनम्

Transliteration

jalārdrākṣatapāṇiśca svastyuktvā pṛthivībhuje | kṛtapraṇāmo rājñātha bheje taddattamāsanam

Translation

ജലത്തിൽ നനഞ്ഞ അക്ഷതങ്ങൾ കൈയിൽ പിടിച്ച്, ഭൂമിപതിയോട് സ്വസ്തിവചനം ഉച്ചരിച്ചു, പ്രണാമം ചെയ്ത്, ഹേ രാജാ, രാജാവ് നൽകിയ ആസനം അദ്ദേഹം സ്വീകരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• जलार्द्राक्षतपाणिः: (he) whose hand held water-moistened rice-grains
• जलार्द्राक्षतपाणिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + आर्द्र + अक्षत + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (hand with unbroken rice moistened with water); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• स्वस्ति: hail; well-being
• स्वस्ति: वाक्य-क्रिया-सम्बन्ध (Blessing utterance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वस्ति (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय, आशीर्वाद-शब्द (benedictive particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• पृथिवीभुजे: to the king
• पृथिवीभुजे: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी + भुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (earth-protector = king); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृतप्रणामः: having bowed
• कृतप्रणामः: विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + प्रणाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (one who has made obeisance); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: कर्ता (Agent of giving)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अथ: then
• अथ: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (sequencing particle)

• भेजे: accepted/partook
• भेजे: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun) used adjectivally; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आसनम्: seat
• आसनम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (narratorial voice, deduced frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (courtly precinct within the kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged brāhmaṇa holds water-moistened rice grains in his palm, pronounces blessings to the king, bows, and accepts the offered seat; attendants and court setting frame the act of satkāra.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Vārāṇasī
• Vedhā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is shown through auspicious blessing, respectful salutation, and the proper exchange of honor between a king and a brāhmaṇa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene occurs in the Kāśī/Vārāṇasī setting established in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The use of akṣata (unbroken rice) with water and uttering svasti (benediction) is indicated as an auspicious formal gesture.