Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तं प्रणम्याथ शिरसा कृतांजलिपुटः स्थितः । प्रोवाच वचनं दीन उपविश्य तदग्रतः

Transliteration

taṃ praṇamyātha śirasā kṛtāṃjalipuṭaḥ sthitaḥ | provāca vacanaṃ dīna upaviśya tadagrataḥ

Translation

เขาก้มศีรษะกราบนมัสการ แล้วประนมมือยืนด้วยความเคารพ จากนั้นชายผู้ทุกข์ร้อนก็นั่งลงเบื้องหน้าและกล่าวถ้อยคำนี้

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया/Having done)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+नम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययीभाव/क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/now)

• शिरसा: with (his) head
• शिरसा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• कृताञ्जलिपुटः: with hands folded (in añjali)
• कृताञ्जलिपुटः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु + क्त) + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कृतः अञ्जलिपुटः यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; स्थितः इति विशेषण

• स्थितः: stood
• स्थितः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate—stood)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वचनम्: words/speech
• वचनम्: Karman (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दीनः: distressed
• दीनः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (सः) इति विशेषण

• उपविश्य: having sat down
• उपविश्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप+विश् (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• तदग्रतः: in front of him
• तदग्रतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative—place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अग्रतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (in front of him)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; third-person narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king bows deeply, hands joined, then sits before Nārada; his face shows fatigue and sorrow; Nārada remains calm, compassionate, holding the vīṇā.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and reverence toward saints and sages is the proper approach for receiving dharmic instruction and relief from suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya setting, but this verse itself focuses on etiquette before a sage rather than naming a specific site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A devotional protocol is implied: praṇāma (bowing) and añjali (folded hands) as respectful conduct in sacred encounters.