Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

बकोऽपि तं समालोक्य मार्कण्डेयं समागतम् । संमुखः प्रययौ तुष्टः स्वागतेनाभ्यपूजयत्

Transliteration

bako'pi taṃ samālokya mārkaṇḍeyaṃ samāgatam | saṃmukhaḥ prayayau tuṣṭaḥ svāgatenābhyapūjayat

Translation

บกะเองเมื่อเห็นมารกัณฑेयมาแล้ว ก็ยินดีออกไปต้อนรับต่อหน้า และบูชาด้วยถ้อยคำแห่งการต้อนรับ

Word by Word

• बकः: Baka
• बकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: baka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समालोक्य: having seen
• समालोक्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ā + lok (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having seen’

• मार्कण्डेयम्: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समागतम्: arrived, come
• समागतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + ā + gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (मार्कण्डेयम्)

• संमुखः: facing (him), in front
• संमुखः: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (बकः)

• प्रययौ: went forth, approached
• प्रययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (बकः)

• स्वागतेन: with a welcome (greeting)
• स्वागतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāgata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभ्यपूजयत्: honoured, worshipped
• अभ्यपूजयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi + pūj (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Baka-āśrama (Himācala)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Baka steps forward from his hermitage to greet the arriving Mārkaṇḍeya, hands raised in welcome; the meeting radiates mutual respect.

Characters & Entities

• Baka
• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring holy guests (atithi) is itself dharma and a source of spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene is set in the Himālaya region; the verse focuses on hospitality rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is svāgata and pūjā of a visiting sage (atithi-satkāra).