Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

नायका पुत्रसंयुक्ता तत्तीर्थं समुपागता । शुश्रूषां सा तस्तस्याश्चक्रे नानाविधां नृप

Transliteration

nāyakā putrasaṃyuktā tattīrthaṃ samupāgatā | śuśrūṣāṃ sā tastasyāścakre nānāvidhāṃ nṛpa

Translation

ഹേ നൃപാ, നായകാ എന്ന പേരുള്ള ഒരു സ്ത്രീ പുത്രനോടുകൂടെ ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്ക് വന്നു. ഗൗതമീ അവൾക്ക് നാനാവിധ സേവാ-ശുശ്രൂഷകൾ ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• नायका: the lady/heroine
• नायका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नायिका/नायका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (नायिका-अर्थे), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पाठभेदे ‘नायका’ इति रूपं

• पुत्रसंयुक्ता: accompanied by (her) son
• पुत्रसंयुक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र + संयुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृतीया/सह-भावार्थक-तत्पुरुषः (पुत्रेण संयुक्ता = accompanied by a son)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• तीर्थम्: sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समुपागता: having come/arrived
• समुपागता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उप+आ+गम् (धातु) → समुपागत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आगता’ (having come)

• शुश्रूषाम्: service/attendance
• शुश्रूषाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: of him/of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तस्य’ अर्थे (of him/that one)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चक्रे: did/made/performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• नानाविधाम्: of various kinds
• नानाविधाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘शुश्रूषाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (of many kinds)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the ghat of Nāga-tīrtha, Nāyakā arrives with her son; Gautamī assists—offering water, arranging bathing space, helping with garments/offerings—depicting quiet, practical compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Nāyakā
• Gautamī
• Nāga-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage dharma includes seva—serving fellow pilgrims and devotees is itself a meritorious religious act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāga-tīrtha (the same tīrtha) where pilgrims gather and dharmic conduct is enacted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a formal rite; it highlights śuśrūṣā (service) as a practical observance within tīrtha-yātrā.