Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य लिखितस्याश्रमं प्रति । भ्रातुर्ज्येष्ठस्य संप्राप्तो नमस्कारकृते नृप

Transliteration

kasyacittvatha kālasya likhitasyāśramaṃ prati | bhrāturjyeṣṭhasya saṃprāpto namaskārakṛte nṛpa

Translation

കുറച്ചു കാലം കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ, ഹേ രാജാവേ, ശംഖൻ തന്റെ ജ്യേഷ്ഠഭ്രാതാവായ ലിഖിതന്റെ ആശ്രമത്തിലേക്ക് നമസ്കാരം അർപ്പിക്കാനായി എത്തി।

Word by Word

• कस्यचित्: of some (person/one)
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कस्यचित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्ट-विशेष्ये ‘कस्यचित्’ = ‘of some’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थक

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• कालस्य: of time
• कालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• लिखितस्य: of Likhita
• लिखितस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिखित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम (Likhita)

• आश्रमम्: to the hermitage
• आश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Directional marker (दिक्/अधिकरण-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय-प्रयोगः; दिशार्थे ‘towards’ (with accusative)

• भ्रातुः: of (his) brother
• भ्रातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ज्येष्ठस्य: elder
• ज्येष्ठस्य: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘भ्रातुः’

• संप्राप्तः: arrived
• संप्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः ‘having arrived’

• नमस्कारकृते: for paying obeisance
• नमस्कारकृते: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस्कार + कृ (धातु) → कृते (क्त)
• Form: समासः: नमस्कारस्य कृते (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Likhitāśrama (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage at the edge of a tīrtha-region; Śaṅkha arrives with folded hands, travel-worn yet composed, approaching the quiet āśrama to bow to his elder brother.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śaṅkha
• Likhita
• King (Nṛpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering respectful salutations—especially to elders and the spiritually established—is upheld as a core expression of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the origin narrative that culminates in the sanctification associated with Śaṃkhatīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (salutation) as a dharmic act; no tīrtha-rite is specified in this verse.