Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

प्रह्लाद उवाच । तच्छ्रुत्वा हृष्टमनसः कृत्वार्घ्यं सुरपावनीम् । अवनिज्य हरेः पादौ मूर्ध्नाऽपश्चाप्यधारयन्

Transliteration

prahlāda uvāca | tacchrutvā hṛṣṭamanasaḥ kṛtvārghyaṃ surapāvanīm | avanijya hareḥ pādau mūrdhnā'paścāpyadhārayan

Translation

ปรหฺลาดกล่าวว่า: ครั้นได้ฟังดังนั้น พวกเขาปีติยินดีในดวงใจ แล้วถวายอรฺฆยะด้วยน้ำอันชำระให้บริสุทธิ์ดุจทิพย์ ครั้นล้างพระบาทของหริแล้ว ก็รับน้ำนั้นไว้เหนือเศียรด้วย

Word by Word

• prahlādaḥ: Prahlāda
• prahlādaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prahlāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tat: that (speech/statement)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; 'having heard'

• hṛṣṭamanasaḥ: with delighted minds
• hṛṣṭamanasaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛṣṭa + manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः = 'whose minds are delighted'

• kṛtvā: having made/offered
• kṛtvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; 'having done/made'

• arghyam: arghya-offering (water of respect)
• arghyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arghya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• surapāvanīm: purifying for the gods
• surapāvanīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sura + pāvanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (surāṇāṃ pāvanī)

• avanijya: having washed
• avanijya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nij (निज्/निञ्ज् धातु, 'to wash') with ava- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; उपसर्गयुक्त

• hareḥ: of Hari (Viṣṇu)
• hareḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• pādau: (two) feet
• pādau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन

• mūrdhnā: with (his) head
• mūrdhnā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• apaḥ: water
• apaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ap (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (आपः), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• adhārayan: they held/placed
• adhārayan: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhṛ (धृ धातु) with ā- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense not intended here

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Primary audience of the mahatmya (implied); the narrated actors are the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda narrates: sages, delighted, offer arghya with sacred water; they wash Hari’s feet and lift that water to their heads in reverent acceptance of pāda-tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Arghya
• Pāda-jala (water from the feet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True reverence expresses itself through humble service—honoring the Lord and cherishing His pāda-jala as purifying grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dvārakā sacred setting around Cakratīrtha and its purifying waters (context of the chapter).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering arghya, washing the Lord’s feet, and reverently placing/holding that sanctified water on one’s head.