Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

ततो देवार्चनं कृत्वा वैश्वदेवांत आगतम् । पुष्पमाहूय तत्पादौ प्रक्षाल्य च निवेश्य च

Transliteration

tato devārcanaṃ kṛtvā vaiśvadevāṃta āgatam | puṣpamāhūya tatpādau prakṣālya ca niveśya ca

Translation

പിന്നീട് ദേവാരാധന നടത്തി, വൈശ്വദേവ കർമ്മം പൂർത്തിയാക്കി അവൻ മടങ്ങി വന്നു. പുഷ്പനെ വിളിച്ച് അവന്റെ പാദങ്ങൾ കഴുകി ആദരത്തോടെ ഇരുത്തി.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (sequencing adverb: thereafter)

• देव-अर्चनम्: worship of the gods
• देव-अर्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (देवानाम् अर्चनम्)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• वैश्वदेव-अन्ते: at the end of the Vaiśvadeva rite
• वैश्वदेव-अन्ते: Adhikarana (Location/Time-point/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्वदेव (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वैश्वदेवस्य अन्ते)

• आगतम्: (one) who had come / arrived
• आगतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्त (past participle) ‘आगत’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (कर्मणि/भावे)

• पुष्पम्: Puṣpa (proper name)
• पुष्पम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आहूय: having called
• आहूय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ह्वे (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• तत्-पादौ: his feet (two)
• तत्-पादौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन (Dual); तत्पुरुष (तस्य पादौ)

• प्रक्षाल्य: having washed
• प्रक्षाल्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• निवेश्य: having seated/placed
• निवेश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-विश् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After completing worship and the vaiśvadeva rite, Maṇibhadra calls Puṣpa, washes his feet with water in a vessel, and seats him respectfully on a clean mat/āsana.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣpa
• vaiśvadeva
• devas (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma integrates devotion and hospitality—worship (devarcana) naturally extends into honoring the guest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is situated in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya, but it does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devarcana and the vaiśvadeva rite, followed by guest-honoring acts such as washing feet and offering a seat.