Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तर्पयंति तथा मांसैस्त्यक्ताशेषमखक्रियाः । पादुके मातृभिर्जुष्टे तथा धूपानुलेपनैः

Transliteration

tarpayaṃti tathā māṃsaistyaktāśeṣamakhakriyāḥ | pāduke mātṛbhirjuṣṭe tathā dhūpānulepanaiḥ

Translation

وہ تمام یَجْن کی رسمیں چھوڑ کر گوشت کے ذریعے بھی ترپتی (نذرِ تسکین) دیتے ہیں؛ اور ماتاؤں کی پسندیدہ اُن پادُکاؤں کی دھونی اور خوشبودار لیپ سے بھی پوجا کرتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• तर्पयन्ति: they satisfy / they offer libations to satisfy
• तर्पयन्ति: Karma-kāraka (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); णिच् (Causative) प्रयोगः

• तथा: thus; also
• तथा: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘thus/also’)

• मांसैः: with meats
• मांसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• त्यक्त: having abandoned
• त्यक्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• अशेष: entire; without remainder
• अशेष: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (tyakta इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• मखक्रियाः: sacrificial rites (ritual actions)
• मखक्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine) ‘क्रिया’, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मखस्य क्रियाः = sacrificial rites)

• पादुके: O (two) sandals / O Pādukā (dual form)
• पादुके: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादुका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा द्विवचन-आकारान्तरूपेण (Nom./Voc. Dual)

• मातृभिः: by/with the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जुष्टे: enjoyed/attended by; associated with
• जुष्टे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जुष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सम्बोधन द्विवचन (Nom./Voc. Dual); विशेषण (पादुके इत्यस्य)

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक/प्रकारवाचक (also/likewise)

• धूप: incense
• धूप: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) (धूपः), समासपूर्वपद (पूर्वपद)

• अनुलेपनैः: with unguents (and incense)
• अनुलेपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (धूप + अनुलेपन) समाहारार्थे; ‘धूपानुलेपनैः’ = with incense and unguents

Speaker

Narrator (contextual third-person narration within the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Pādukā-sthāna

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dim cave-sanctum where a pair of sacred sandals (pādukā) rests on a stone pedestal, attended by unseen/evoked Mātṛkās; devotees offer incense smoke and fragrant unguents, while the atmosphere hints at older, transgressive offerings now remembered in text.

Characters & Entities

• pādukā
• Mātṛs (Mātṛkās)
• dhūpa (incense)
• anulepana (unguents)
• makha (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s localized worship (pādukā and Mātṛ devotion) is portrayed as a prevailing religious mode when older sacrificial systems are set aside.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The pādukā-centered cave-tīrtha associated with the Mothers (Mātṛkās), where incense and anointing are key offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā using dhūpa (incense) and anulepana (unguents), and tarpaṇa-like propitiation with offerings as stated in the verse.