Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तर्पयंति तथा मांसैस्त्यक्ताशेषमखक्रियाः । पादुके मातृभिर्जुष्टे तथा धूपानुलेपनैः

Transliteration

tarpayaṃti tathā māṃsaistyaktāśeṣamakhakriyāḥ | pāduke mātṛbhirjuṣṭe tathā dhūpānulepanaiḥ

Translation

അവർ എല്ലാ യജ്ഞക്രിയകളും ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് മാംസത്താൽ പോലും തർപ്പണം നടത്തുന്നു; കൂടാതെ മാതൃഗണങ്ങൾക്ക് പ്രിയമായ പാദുകകളെ ധൂപവും അനുലേപനവും കൊണ്ടു പൂജിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तर्पयन्ति: they satisfy / they offer libations to satisfy
• तर्पयन्ति: Karma-kāraka (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); णिच् (Causative) प्रयोगः

• तथा: thus; also
• तथा: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘thus/also’)

• मांसैः: with meats
• मांसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• त्यक्त: having abandoned
• त्यक्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• अशेष: entire; without remainder
• अशेष: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (tyakta इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• मखक्रियाः: sacrificial rites (ritual actions)
• मखक्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine) ‘क्रिया’, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मखस्य क्रियाः = sacrificial rites)

• पादुके: O (two) sandals / O Pādukā (dual form)
• पादुके: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादुका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा द्विवचन-आकारान्तरूपेण (Nom./Voc. Dual)

• मातृभिः: by/with the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जुष्टे: enjoyed/attended by; associated with
• जुष्टे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जुष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सम्बोधन द्विवचन (Nom./Voc. Dual); विशेषण (पादुके इत्यस्य)

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक/प्रकारवाचक (also/likewise)

• धूप: incense
• धूप: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) (धूपः), समासपूर्वपद (पूर्वपद)

• अनुलेपनैः: with unguents (and incense)
• अनुलेपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (धूप + अनुलेपन) समाहारार्थे; ‘धूपानुलेपनैः’ = with incense and unguents

Speaker

Narrator (contextual third-person narration within the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Pādukā-sthāna

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dim cave-sanctum where a pair of sacred sandals (pādukā) rests on a stone pedestal, attended by unseen/evoked Mātṛkās; devotees offer incense smoke and fragrant unguents, while the atmosphere hints at older, transgressive offerings now remembered in text.

Characters & Entities

• pādukā
• Mātṛs (Mātṛkās)
• dhūpa (incense)
• anulepana (unguents)
• makha (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s localized worship (pādukā and Mātṛ devotion) is portrayed as a prevailing religious mode when older sacrificial systems are set aside.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The pādukā-centered cave-tīrtha associated with the Mothers (Mātṛkās), where incense and anointing are key offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā using dhūpa (incense) and anulepana (unguents), and tarpaṇa-like propitiation with offerings as stated in the verse.