Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

परिष्वज्य ततो भूयो वाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणः । आघ्राय च ततो मूर्ध्नि वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह

Transliteration

pariṣvajya tato bhūyo vāṣpaparyākulekṣaṇaḥ | āghrāya ca tato mūrdhni vākyametaduvāca ha

Translation

اسے پھر گلے لگا کر اس کی آنکھیں آنسوؤں سے بھر گئیں؛ پھر اس نے بیٹے کے سر کو سونگھا اور یہ کلمات کہے۔

Word by Word

• परिष्वज्य: having embraced
• परिष्वज्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-स्वज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having embraced)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थ (then)

• भूयः: again/further
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरर्थक (again/further)

• वाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणः: whose eyes were troubled with tears
• वाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाष्प-पर्याकुल-ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-श्रृंखला (वाष्पेण पर्याकुलं ईक्षणं यस्य); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• आघ्राय: having smelled
• आघ्राय: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-घ्रा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having smelled)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थ (then)

• मूर्ध्नि: on (his) head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (on the head)

• वाक्यम्: words/speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘वाक्यम्’ विशेषण

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्मरण/निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed/for emphasis)

Speaker

Narrative voice (Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close embrace: the father holds the son tightly; tears well in his eyes; he lifts the son’s head and smells the crown in a gesture of blessing and recognition before speaking.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Son

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas portray dharma not as abstraction but as lived experience—where grace and loss, reunion and instruction, shape faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it is part of the Adhyāya 139 Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated.