Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तमारोप्य महापीठे कंबलांबरसंभृते । प्रक्षाल्य चरणौ भक्त्या तज्जलं दधतुः शिरः

Transliteration

tamāropya mahāpīṭhe kaṃbalāṃbarasaṃbhṛte | prakṣālya caraṇau bhaktyā tajjalaṃ dadhatuḥ śiraḥ

Translation

କମ୍ବଳ ଓ ବସ୍ତ୍ରରେ ସୁସଜ୍ଜିତ ମହାପୀଠରେ ତାଙ୍କୁ ବସାଇ, ଭକ୍ତିରେ ତାଙ୍କ ପାଦ ପ୍ରକ୍ଷାଳନ କରି ସେହି ଚରଣାମୃତକୁ ଶିରେ ଧାରଣ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• आरोप्य: having seated/placed (him)
• आरोप्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√ruh (धातु) + ल्यप् (Ktvā/ल्यपन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया ‘having placed/caused to mount’

• महापीठे: on the great seat
• महापीठे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + pīṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; समासः—महच्च तत् पीठम्

• कम्बलाम्बरसम्भृते: furnished with blanket and cloth
• कम्बलाम्बरसम्भृते: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaṃbala + ambara + saṃ-√bhṛ (धातु) → sambhṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; ‘महापीठे’ इति विशेषणम्; समासः—कम्बल-आम्बराभ्यां सम्भृतम् (furnished with blanket and cloth)

• प्रक्षाल्य: having washed
• प्रक्षाल्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṣal (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (Gerund); ‘having washed’

• चरणौ: (his) two feet
• चरणौ: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), द्विवचनम्

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्; ‘जलम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• दधतुः: they placed/put
• दधतुः: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), द्विवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• शिरः: on (their) head
• शिरः: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Śiva-yogin is seated on a high seat covered with blanket and cloth; two hosts kneel, washing his feet in a vessel; the collected water is reverently lifted to their heads.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣabha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional service to the holy—especially humble acts like washing the feet—purifies and elevates the devotee.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the sanctity highlighted is that of saintly contact and hospitality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāda-prakṣālana (washing the guest’s feet) and reverently taking/placing the foot-washing water upon the head.