Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा स राजर्षिर्विश्रम्य सुचिरं ततः । पीत्वापस्तमुवाचेदं प्रणिपत्य महामुनिम्

Transliteration

evamuktvā sa rājarṣirviśramya suciraṃ tataḥ | pītvāpastamuvācedaṃ praṇipatya mahāmunim

Translation

ครั้นกล่าวดังนี้แล้ว ราชฤๅษีได้พักอยู่นาน ครั้นดื่มน้ำแล้ว จึงกราบลงแทบเท้ามหามุนี และกล่าวถ้อยคำดังต่อไปนี้

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: “thus”)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya-krama (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive: “having said”)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• राजर्षिः: the royal sage
• राजर्षिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (राजा च ऋषिश्च = “royal sage”)

• विश्रम्य: having rested
• विश्रम्य: Kriya-krama (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-श्रम् (धातु) → विश्रम्य (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-रूप)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive: “having rested”)

• सुचिरम्: for a long time
• सुचिरम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालपरिमाणवाचक-अव्ययप्राय (accusative used adverbially: “for a long time”)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-krama (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereafter; from that)

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Kriya-krama (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु) → पीत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund: “having drunk”)

• अपः: water
• अपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (अप्-शब्दः), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इदम्: this (speech)
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; वाक्यवस्तु (object of speech)

• प्रणिपत्य: having prostrated
• प्रणिपत्य: Kriya-krama (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-निपत् (धातु) → प्रणिपत्य (ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive: “having bowed down”)

• महामुनिम्: the great sage
• महामुनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā (प्रातिपदिक) + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् मुनिः = “great sage”)

Speaker

Sūta (narrative voice; verse describes the king’s action before speaking)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, after a long rest, sits near a water vessel, sips water, then rises and prostrates before the seated sage to begin his request.

Characters & Entities

• Rājarṣi (the king)
• Mahāmuni (Jamadagni, implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility before spiritual authority—rest, purification (water), and respectful prostration precede meaningful dialogue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya setting, the episode supports the sanctity of the hermitage-region tied to the narrated tīrtha context (specific tīrtha name not stated in this verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed; the verse models etiquette: drinking water (ācamanā-like refreshment) and bowing to a sage.