Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा गृहीत्वा तं स्वहस्तालंबनं तदा । ययौ तत्र सभास्थानं बृहत्सिंहासनाश्रयम्

Transliteration

evamuktvā gṛhītvā taṃ svahastālaṃbanaṃ tadā | yayau tatra sabhāsthānaṃ bṛhatsiṃhāsanāśrayam

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞിട്ട്, അപ്പോൾ തന്റെ കൈയെ ആശ്രയമായി നൽകി അദ്ദേഹത്തെ പിടിച്ചു, മഹാസിംഹാസനം ഒരുക്കിയ സഭാമണ്ഡപത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having said)

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having taken)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• स्वहस्तालम्बनम्: support of his own hand
• स्वहस्तालम्बनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + आलम्बन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (Accusative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य हस्तस्य आलम्बनम्)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• सभास्थानम्: the assembly-hall place
• सभास्थानम्: Karma (Object/गमनस्य कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (Accusative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सभायाः स्थानम्)

• बृहत्सिंहासनाश्रयम्: having/with a great throne as its support
• बृहत्सिंहासनाश्रयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहत् (प्रातिपदिक) + सिंहासन (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (बृहत् सिंहासनम् आश्रयः यस्य/यत्र) — विशेषणत्वेन सभास्थानम् विशेषयति

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā (Satyānāmikā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king gently holds the sage’s hand/forearm as support; they walk toward a grand hall with a large lion-throne; pillars, banners, and lamps line the path.

Characters & Entities

• Rohitāśva
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Sabhā (royal assembly)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality is dharma in action: the ruler personally escorts the sage, signaling that spiritual authority outranks worldly power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā remains the narrative setting; its sanctity is reflected in the respectful reception of a great muni.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the conduct of atithi-satkāra—escorting and honoring a holy guest—is exemplified.