Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

वृद्धान्प्रयत्नाद्वंदेत दद्यात्तेषां स्वमासनम् । विनम्रधमनिस्तस्मादनुयायात्ततश्च तान्

Transliteration

vṛddhānprayatnādvaṃdeta dadyātteṣāṃ svamāsanam | vinamradhamanistasmādanuyāyāttataśca tān

Translation

Hãy cung kính đảnh lễ các bậc cao niên và nhường cho họ chỗ ngồi của mình. Với dáng vẻ khiêm cung, lại nên theo hầu, đồng hành cùng họ về sau để tỏ lòng kính trọng.

Word by Word

• वृद्धान्: elders
• वृद्धान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative Plural)

• प्रयत्नात्: with effort/earnestly
• प्रयत्नात्: Hetu (Cause/manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-एकवचन (Ablative Singular; adverbial: ‘with effort/earnestly’)

• वन्देत: should salute
• वन्देत: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वन्द् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

• तेषाम्: to them/of them
• तेषाम्: Sampradāna (Recipient; genitive for dative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive Plural)

• स्वम्: one’s own
• स्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative Singular; agrees with आसनम्)

• आसनम्: seat
• आसनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• विनम्र: humble/bowed
• विनम्र: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनम्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular; in compound with धमनि)

• धमनिः: (with) bowed neck/artery
• धमनिः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धमनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular; ‘vein/artery’; here idiomatically ‘with bowed neck/veins’ = humbly)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Discourse link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्रायः (ablatival adverb: ‘therefore/from that’)

• अनुयायात्: should follow
• अनुयायात्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु+या (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative Plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/residents instructed in Kāśī etiquette

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a Kāśī ghat or temple corridor, a young pilgrim rises, bows to an elderly sage, offers his seat, and walks a few steps behind in respectful accompaniment amid lamps and devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛddha (elders)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and service toward elders is a direct expression of dharma and refines one’s character for spiritual life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the setting where social conduct is treated as sacred discipline supporting pilgrimage merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An ācāra rule: bow to elders, offer one’s seat, and escort them respectfully.