Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 127

Devanagari script

पादौ प्रसारयेन्नैव गुरुदेवाग्निसंमुखौ । चतुष्पथं चैत्यतरुं देवागारं तथा यतिम्

Transliteration

pādau prasārayennaiva gurudevāgnisaṃmukhau | catuṣpathaṃ caityataruṃ devāgāraṃ tathā yatim

Translation

不可在师尊、诸天或圣火之前伸展双足。同样，也当敬重四衢路口、圣树（祠树）、神庙，以及苦行者。

Word by Word

• pādau: (one’s) two feet
• pādau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), द्विवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Dual)

• prasārayet: should stretch out
• prasārayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prasṛ (प्रसृ, धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• eva: indeed/at all
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• guru-deva-agni-saṃmukhau: in front of the guru, deity, and fire
• guru-deva-agni-saṃmukhau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Locative, Dual); विशेषण—‘समक्षे’ (in the presence of)

• catuṣpatham: a crossroads
• catuṣpatham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catuṣpatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• caityatarum: a sacred/monumental tree
• caityatarum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caitya (प्रातिपदिक) + taru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• devāgāram: a temple (house of a deity)
• devāgāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + āgāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/also)

• yatim: an ascetic
• yatim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim rests near a temple path; seeing a guru, a homa-fire, and a saffron-clad yati, the pilgrim folds legs respectfully. In the background: a crossroads with a small shrine-tree wrapped in cloth and offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence is embodied: posture and behavior before sacred persons, places, and symbols is itself a form of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse highlights sacred loci such as temples, shrine-trees, and crossroads as deserving respect.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not stretch the feet toward guru/deity/sacred fire; maintain respectful conduct near temples, sacred trees, and ascetics.