Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

प्रयत्नेन तु सव्येन पाणिना दक्षिणेन तु । युग्मानथ यथाशक्त्या नमस्कृत्य पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

prayatnena tu savyena pāṇinā dakṣiṇena tu | yugmānatha yathāśaktyā namaskṛtya punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

پھر احتیاط کے ساتھ—پہلے بائیں ہاتھ سے اور پھر دائیں ہاتھ سے—اُن جوڑوں کو حسبِ استطاعت ادب سے سنبھالے، اور بار بار سجدۂ تعظیم (نمسکار) کرے۔

Word by Word

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थक

• सव्येन: with the left
• सव्येन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular; विशेषण (पाणिना)

• पाणिना: hand
• पाणिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• दक्षिणेन: with the right
• दक्षिणेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular; विशेषण (पाणिना)

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• युग्मान्: pairs/couples (the paired ones)
• युग्मान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencer/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• यथाशक्त्या: according to one’s capacity
• यथाशक्त्या: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा-शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभावसमास)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् — adverbial ‘according to ability’

• नमस्कृत्य: having saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस्√कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having saluted’

• पुनःपुनः: again and again
• पुनःपुनः: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय) + पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरुक्ति (reduplication) — adverb

Speaker

Unspecified (ritual instruction sequence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King/patron figure in the discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A patron carefully seats brāhmaṇas in pairs on āsanas, using left then right hand to arrange items; he bows repeatedly with folded hands; ritual vessels and kuśa are neatly aligned.

Characters & Entities

• Yugma (pairs)
• Namaskāra (bowing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual success rests on careful, reverent conduct—humility and proper etiquette are themselves acts of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes respectful handling/arrangement of the invited pairs and repeated salutations as part of the Śrāddha hospitality sequence.