Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

उपाध्यायस्तु तं दृष्ट्वा दीनं बाष्पपरिप्लुतम् । श्मश्रुमूर्धजसंत्यक्तं ततः प्रोवाच सादरम्

Transliteration

upādhyāyastu taṃ dṛṣṭvā dīnaṃ bāṣpapariplutam | śmaśrumūrdhajasaṃtyaktaṃ tataḥ provāca sādaram

Translation

อุปาธยาย์เห็นเขาอเนจอนาถ ชุ่มด้วยน้ำตา และละทิ้งหนวดเครากับผมศีรษะแล้ว จึงกล่าวกับเขาด้วยความเมตตาและเอ็นดู

Word by Word

• उपाध्यायः: the teacher
• उपाध्यायः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—विरोध/अन्वयबोधक (particle)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (pronoun)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त—क्त्वा (gerund), ‘having seen’

• दीनम्: wretched, miserable
• दीनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तम्)

• बाष्प-परिप्लुतम्: bathed/drenched in tears
• बाष्प-परिप्लुतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + परि + प्लु (धातु) → परिप्लुत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (बाष्पेण परिप्लुतः = drenched with tears)

• श्मश्रु-मूर्धज-संत्यक्तम्: having given up/removed beard and hair
• श्मश्रु-मूर्धज-संत्यक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्मश्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्धज (प्रातिपदिक) + सम् + त्यज् (धातु) → संत्यक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (श्मश्रु-मूर्धजौ संत्यक्तौ यस्य/येन = having abandoned/removed beard and hair)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—तसिल्/ablatival adverb (thereupon/then)

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स-आदरम्: respectfully
• स-आदरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदर (प्रातिपदिक) + स (अव्ययार्थ)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (सहितम्) रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण; अर्थः ‘आदरेण सह’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual third-person narration within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The teacher notices the disciple—tear-soaked, shaven, and broken—and addresses him gently, hand raised in reassurance.

Characters & Entities

• upādhyāya (teacher)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true teacher responds to a disciple’s remorse with guidance rather than contempt, directing him back toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as narrative transition within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it introduces the forthcoming instruction on expiation.