Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ततः प्रणम्य तं भक्त्या प्रक्षाल्य चरणौ स्वयम् । दत्त्वार्घमिति होवाच हर्षबाष्पाकुलेक्षणः

Transliteration

tataḥ praṇamya taṃ bhaktyā prakṣālya caraṇau svayam | dattvārghamiti hovāca harṣabāṣpākulekṣaṇaḥ

Translation

ਤਦ ਉਹ ਭਗਤੀ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਣਾਮ ਕਰ ਕੇ, ਆਪ ਹੀ ਮੁਨੀ ਦੇ ਚਰਨ ਧੋਏ ਅਤੇ ਅਰਘ੍ਯ ਅਰਪਣ ਕੀਤਾ; ਹರ್ಷ ਦੇ ਅੰਸੂਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਦੀਆਂ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਭਰ ਆਈਆਂ ਤੇ ਕੰਬਦੀਆਂ ਹੋਈਆਂ ਉਹ ਬੋਲਿਆ।

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; पूर्वक्रिया (having bowed)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• प्रक्षाल्य: having washed
• प्रक्षाल्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṣal (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; पूर्वक्रिया (having washed)

• चरणौ: (his) two feet
• चरणौ: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable; अर्थे: स्वयं (oneself)

• दत्त्वा: having offered
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having given/offered)

• अर्घम्: arghya-offering
• अर्घम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: argha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/quotative particle)

• होवाच: said
• होवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘ह’ आगमयुक्त रूप (ho-vāca)

• हर्षबाष्पाकुलेक्षणः: having eyes clouded with joyful tears
• हर्षबाष्पाकुलेक्षणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: harṣa + bāṣpa + ākula + ikṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः: (हर्ष-बाष्प-आकुल)-ईक्षणः = whose eyes are filled with tears of joy

Speaker

Sūta (implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, eyes brimming with joyful tears, bows before the austere sage; he washes the sage’s feet with a golden vessel and offers arghya with folded hands in a palace threshold setting.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā (implied)
• King Kalaśa (implied)
• Arghya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional humility expressed through service—bowing, washing feet, and offering arghya—is upheld as a powerful form of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kalaśeśvara māhātmya storyline, contributing to the sanctity narrative of the lake-bank Śiva shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Atithi-pūjā is detailed: praṇāma (bowing), pādya (washing feet), and arghya (honor-offering) to a revered guest/sage.