Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तवन्तं ते सर्वे माल्यवत्प्रमुखास्तदा । ऊचुः प्रणम्य शिरसा प्रार्थयंतः पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

ityuktavantaṃ te sarve mālyavatpramukhāstadā | ūcuḥ praṇamya śirasā prārthayaṃtaḥ punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

ครั้นเขากล่าวดังนี้แล้ว คนทั้งปวงมีมาลยวัตเป็นผู้นำก็ประนมเศียรนอบน้อม แล้วทูลวิงวอนซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า กล่าวกับท่านนั้น

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/इति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/quotative)

• uktavantam: the one who had spoken
• uktavantam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ukta-vant (कृदन्त; √vac (धातु) + वत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकृत्/कृतप्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (one who has spoken)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम/सर्वनामसदृश

• mālyavat-pramukhāḥ: those led by Mālyavat
• mālyavat-pramukhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālyavat (प्रातिपदिक) + pramukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (माल्यवत्-प्रमुखाः = Mālyavat as the chief/foremost among them)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• praṇamya: having bowed
• praṇamya: Kriya-viseshana (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-√nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• śirasā: with (their) head
• śirasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• prārthayantaḥ: requesting
• prārthayantaḥ: Karta (Agent-participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√arth (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदी वर्तमान-कर्तरि (while requesting)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Skanda Purāṇa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha/Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group led by Mālyavat stands with folded hands, heads bowed, repeatedly petitioning a revered figure who has just spoken; the atmosphere is solemn and devotional.

Characters & Entities

• Mālyavat

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and repeated sincere prayer are shown as proper dharmic conduct when seeking protection or guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits in Setukhaṇḍa (associated with Setu/Rāmeśvaram region), but this particular line focuses on the act of supplication rather than a site’s praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the act emphasized is reverential bowing and earnest entreaty.