Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

ते दृष्ट्वाऽदृष्टपूर्वं तं राजलक्षणलक्षितम् । धूलिधूसरितांगं च भस्मावृतमिवाचलम्

Transliteration

te dṛṣṭvā'dṛṣṭapūrvaṃ taṃ rājalakṣaṇalakṣitam | dhūlidhūsaritāṃgaṃ ca bhasmāvṛtamivācalam

Translation

ครั้นเห็นเขา—ผู้ไม่เคยพบมาก่อน—แต่มีลักษณะเครื่องหมายแห่งราชา และกายหม่นด้วยธุลีดุจภูเขาถูกคลุมด้วยเถ้า พวกเขาจึงเพ่งพินิจและให้ความสนใจ

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having seen)

• अदृष्टपूर्वम्: never seen before
• अदृष्टपूर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त) + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular); विशेषणम्

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• राजलक्षणलक्षितम्: marked with royal characteristics
• राजलक्षणलक्षितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāja (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣita (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular); विशेषणम्; (राजलक्षणैः) लक्षितः = marked by royal signs

• धूलिधूसरिताङ्गम्: whose body was dust-grimed
• धूलिधूसरिताङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhūli (प्रातिपदिक) + dhūsarita (कृदन्त) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular); विशेषणम्; धूल्या धूसरितम् अङ्गं यस्य

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (Conjunction)

• भस्मावृतम्: covered with ash
• भस्मावृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhasman (प्रातिपदिक) + āvṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular); विशेषणम्; भस्मना आवृतम्

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Upamāna-marker (Simile/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (Particle of comparison)

• अचलम्: a mountain
• अचलम्: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: acala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (narrative continuation implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Villagers/attendants behold a dust-greyed stranger whose bearing and auspicious royal marks contradict his travel-worn body; the contrast creates wonder at a sacred landscape’s edge.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer status fades on the pilgrim-road; endurance and humility mark spiritual readiness more than royal splendor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene occurs at the rishi-āśrama by the lake referenced earlier; this verse does not name the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the ash/dust imagery suggests austerity and the stripping away of ego as part of the pilgrim’s discipline.