Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वकेशश्चोर्ध्वरोमा पितरौ प्रणतोऽब्रवीत् । प्रणमामि युवां चोभौ जातस्य पितरौ गुरू

Transliteration

ūrdhvakeśaścordhvaromā pitarau praṇato'bravīt | praṇamāmi yuvāṃ cobhau jātasya pitarau gurū

Translation

జుట్టు నిటారుగా నిలిచి, రోమాంచితమైన దేహంతో అతడు తల్లిదండ్రులకు నమస్కరించి ఇలా అన్నాడు—“నా జన్మకు కారణమైన మీరు ఇద్దరూ గురుస్వరూపులైన తల్లిదండ్రులు; మీ ఇద్దరికీ నమస్కరిస్తున్నాను।”

Word by Word

• ūrdhva-keśaḥ: with hair standing upright
• ūrdhva-keśaḥ: Karta (Qualifier of implied subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + keśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• ūrdhva-romā: with bristling body-hair
• ūrdhva-romā: Karta (Qualifier of implied subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + roman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• pitarau: the two parents
• pitarau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्विवचन; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) — ‘पितरौ’ (उभौ माता-पितरौ)

• praṇataḥ: having bowed
• praṇataḥ: Karta (State of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ṇam (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘प्रणतः’ = bowed

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• praṇamāmi: I bow to
• praṇamāmi: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ṇam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yuvām: you two
• yuvām: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• ubhau: both
• ubhau: Karma (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (yuvām)

• jātasya: of the newborn (me)
• jātasya: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāta (जन्-धातु, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘जात’ (born one) इति कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक

• pitarau: (you are) the parents
• pitarau: Sambandha (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• gurū: (my) venerable elders/teachers
• gurū: Sambandha (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषणभावे ‘पितरौ’ इत्यस्य

Speaker

The newborn son (later named Barbarīka) speaking to his parents

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A newly matured youth with hair standing on end and bristling body-hair bows low to his parents; the parents receive the salutation with mixed wonder and affection; the forest becomes a sanctified stage.

Characters & Entities

• parents (pitarau)
• newborn son (later Barbarīka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Parents are to be honoured as one’s first gurus; reverence (praṇāma) is foundational dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the teaching is ethical and familial rather than tīrtha-centered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it reflects the inner spirit behind saṃskāras—humility and gratitude.