Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

प्रणिपत्य स दीनात्मा भूत्वा चाश्रुपरिप्लुतः । प्राह गद्गदया वाचा कण्ठे बाष्पसमावृतः

Transliteration

praṇipatya sa dīnātmā bhūtvā cāśrupariplutaḥ | prāha gadgadayā vācā kaṇṭhe bāṣpasamāvṛtaḥ

Translation

അവൻ പ്രണിപാതം ചെയ്ത് ദീനഹൃദയനായി; കണ്ണീരിൽ മുങ്ങി, കണ്ഠം വിങ്ങലാൽ മൂടപ്പെട്ടതിനാൽ ഗദ്ഗദസ്വരത്തിൽ സംസാരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• praṇipatya: having prostrated
• praṇipatya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ni-pat (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having bowed down)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता (refers to Nārada)

• dīnātmā: of dejected spirit
• dīnātmā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna-ātman (प्रातिपदिक; दीन + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (saḥ)

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having become)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• aśrupariplutaḥ: bathed in tears
• aśrupariplutaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aśru-paripluta (प्रातिपदिक; अश्रु + परिप्लुत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (saḥ); ‘अश्रुभिः परिप्लुतः’ (bathed in tears)

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु; √अह्/ब्रू-आदेश)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• gadgadayā: with a faltering
• gadgadayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gadgada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (vācā)

• vācā: voice
• vācā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (means)

• kaṇṭhe: in (his) throat
• kaṇṭhe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (location)

• bāṣpasamāvṛtaḥ: choked/covered with tears
• bāṣpasamāvṛtaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāṣpa-sam-āvṛta (प्रातिपदिक; बाष्प + समावृत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (saḥ); ‘बाष्पेण समावृतः’ (covered with tears)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada falls full-length in prostration before his mother; tears stream as he lifts his head, throat tight, hands folded, the assembly watching in hushed reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and heartfelt emotion can purify speech and intention, preparing one for dharmic reconciliation and truth-telling.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger frame remains the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya in the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; the gesture of praṇipāta (bowing) is shown as an embodied expression of reverence.