Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

बकोऽपि तं समालोक्य मार्कण्डेयं समागतम् । संमुखः प्रययौ तुष्टः स्वागतेनाभ्यपूजयत्

Transliteration

bako'pi taṃ samālokya mārkaṇḍeyaṃ samāgatam | saṃmukhaḥ prayayau tuṣṭaḥ svāgatenābhyapūjayat

Translation

Baka cũng vậy, thấy Mārkaṇḍeya đã đến, liền bước ra đón tiếp. Lòng hoan hỷ, ngài kính lễ và tôn vinh bằng lời chào mừng.

Word by Word

• बकः: Baka
• बकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: baka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समालोक्य: having seen
• समालोक्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ā + lok (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having seen’

• मार्कण्डेयम्: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समागतम्: arrived, come
• समागतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + ā + gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (मार्कण्डेयम्)

• संमुखः: facing (him), in front
• संमुखः: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (बकः)

• प्रययौ: went forth, approached
• प्रययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (बकः)

• स्वागतेन: with a welcome (greeting)
• स्वागतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāgata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभ्यपूजयत्: honoured, worshipped
• अभ्यपूजयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi + pūj (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Baka-āśrama (Himācala)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Baka steps forward from his hermitage to greet the arriving Mārkaṇḍeya, hands raised in welcome; the meeting radiates mutual respect.

Characters & Entities

• Baka
• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring holy guests (atithi) is itself dharma and a source of spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene is set in the Himālaya region; the verse focuses on hospitality rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is svāgata and pūjā of a visiting sage (atithi-satkāra).