Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ततः प्रणम्य तं भक्त्या प्रक्षाल्य चरणौ स्वयम् । दत्त्वार्घमिति होवाच हर्षबाष्पाकुलेक्षणः

Transliteration

tataḥ praṇamya taṃ bhaktyā prakṣālya caraṇau svayam | dattvārghamiti hovāca harṣabāṣpākulekṣaṇaḥ

Translation

پھر اس نے عقیدت سے اُنہیں سجدۂ تعظیم کیا، خود ہی مُنی کے قدم دھوئے اور اَرجیہ (ارغیہ) پیش کیا؛ خوشی کے آنسوؤں سے اس کی آنکھیں بھر آئیں اور لرزتی ہوئی وہ بول اٹھا۔

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; पूर्वक्रिया (having bowed)

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

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• प्रक्षाल्य: having washed
• प्रक्षाल्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṣal (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; पूर्वक्रिया (having washed)

• चरणौ: (his) two feet
• चरणौ: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable; अर्थे: स्वयं (oneself)

• दत्त्वा: having offered
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having given/offered)

• अर्घम्: arghya-offering
• अर्घम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: argha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/quotative particle)

• होवाच: said
• होवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘ह’ आगमयुक्त रूप (ho-vāca)

• हर्षबाष्पाकुलेक्षणः: having eyes clouded with joyful tears
• हर्षबाष्पाकुलेक्षणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: harṣa + bāṣpa + ākula + ikṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः: (हर्ष-बाष्प-आकुल)-ईक्षणः = whose eyes are filled with tears of joy

Speaker

Sūta (implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, eyes brimming with joyful tears, bows before the austere sage; he washes the sage’s feet with a golden vessel and offers arghya with folded hands in a palace threshold setting.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā (implied)
• King Kalaśa (implied)
• Arghya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional humility expressed through service—bowing, washing feet, and offering arghya—is upheld as a powerful form of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kalaśeśvara māhātmya storyline, contributing to the sanctity narrative of the lake-bank Śiva shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Atithi-pūjā is detailed: praṇāma (bowing), pādya (washing feet), and arghya (honor-offering) to a revered guest/sage.