Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

ततो भुक्तावसानेऽथ निविष्टः मुखसंस्थित । मम मात्रा परिपृष्टो विनयाद्वरवर्णिनि

Transliteration

tato bhuktāvasāne'tha niviṣṭaḥ mukhasaṃsthita | mama mātrā paripṛṣṭo vinayādvaravarṇini

Translation

അനന്തരം ഭോജനം കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ അദ്ദേഹം നേരെ ഇരുന്നു. അപ്പോൾ എന്റെ മാതാവ് വിനയത്തോടെ അദ്ദേഹത്തോട് ചോദിച്ചു—ഹേ സുന്ദരവർണിനീ!

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = thereafter/then

• bhukta-avasāne: at the end of the meal
• bhukta-avasāne: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhukta (कृदन्त, √bhuj भुज्) + avasāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (भुक्तस्य अवसाने) = at the end of eating

• atha: then, thereafter
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक) — ‘अथ’ = then/now

• niviṣṭaḥ: seated
• niviṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √viś (विश्) + नि (उपसर्ग) (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः = seated/settled

• mukha-saṃsthitaḥ: positioned at the front/near the mouth
• mukha-saṃsthitaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsthita (कृदन्त, √sthā स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मुखे संस्थितः) = situated at the mouth/front

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम = of me/my

• mātrā: by (my) mother
• mātrā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन = by/with (my) mother

• paripṛṣṭaḥ: asked
• paripṛṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari + √prach (प्रच्छ्) (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त = questioned/asked

• vinayāt: out of humility, politely
• vinayāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vinaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन = from/through humility (i.e., politely)

• vara-varṇini: O excellent lady
• vara-varṇini: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः = O excellent/beautiful lady

Speaker

Śāṇḍilya (continuing narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet household after a meal: the honored sage sits facing the family; the mother, modest and composed, begins her respectful question.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Courtesy completes hospitality: after serving, one engages the guest with respectful speech and inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this line; it continues the āśrama narrative framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is prescribed; it depicts the customary post-meal seating and polite questioning of the guest.