Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अथ दृष्ट्वा तु संप्राप्तां सावित्रीं यज्ञमण्डपम् । तत्क्षणाच्च चतुर्वक्त्रः संस्थितोऽधोमुखो ह्रिया

Transliteration

atha dṛṣṭvā tu saṃprāptāṃ sāvitrīṃ yajñamaṇḍapam | tatkṣaṇācca caturvaktraḥ saṃsthito'dhomukho hriyā

Translation

ครั้นเมื่อทรงเห็นสาวิตรีมาถึงมณฑปยัญพิธี ในขณะนั้นเอง พระพรหมผู้มีสี่พักตร์ก็ยืนก้มพระพักตร์ด้วยความละอาย

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तर (then/now)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त्वा (absolutive): 'having seen'

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोध (but/indeed)

• संप्राप्ताम्: arrived; having come
• संप्राप्ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'आगताम्'

• सावित्रीम्: Sāvitrī
• सावित्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• यज्ञ: sacrifice
• यज्ञ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• मण्डपम्: pavilion
• मण्डपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य मण्डपः)

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment; immediately
• तत्क्षणात्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तस्मिन् क्षणे)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• चतुर्वक्त्रः: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुर्वक्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (चत्वारि वक्त्राणि यस्य सः)

• संस्थितः: stood; remained
• संस्थितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'स्थित/अवस्थित'

• अधोमुखः: with face turned downward
• अधोमुखः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधस् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (अधो मुखं यस्य सः)

• ह्रिया: with shame; out of modesty
• ह्रिया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/हेतु (instrumental: 'out of shame')

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Tīrthamāhātmya; specific speaker not present in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sāvitrī arrives; Brahmā, four-faced, stands with faces lowered in shame, the pavilion momentarily stilled—authority humbled before chastity and truth.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Brahmā (Caturvaktra)
• yajñamaṇḍapa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma compels humility: even the highest must bow inwardly when confronted by rightful moral authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this shloka; it belongs to the broader Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse depicts the reaction of Brahmā within the yajña setting.