Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

प्रणिपत्य ततः प्राह विनयावनतः स्थितः । निर्विण्णोऽहं सुरश्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणानां गृहे स्थितः

Transliteration

praṇipatya tataḥ prāha vinayāvanataḥ sthitaḥ | nirviṇṇo'haṃ suraśreṣṭha brāhmaṇānāṃ gṛhe sthitaḥ

Translation

他先俯首顶礼，谦恭而立说道：“噢，诸天中最胜者，我厌倦了寄居在婆罗门家中，仰赖他们而活。”

Word by Word

• praṇipatya: having prostrated
• praṇipatya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-√nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): प्रणिपत्य = having bowed down

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरम् (then)

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vinayāvanataḥ: bowed down with humility
• vinayāvanataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vinaya + avanata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘अवनत’; तत्पुरुषः (विनयेन अवनतः = bowed with humility)

• sthitaḥ: standing; remaining
• sthitaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nirviṇṇaḥ: disheartened; weary
• nirviṇṇaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-√vid (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• suraśreṣṭha: O best of gods
• suraśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• brāhmaṇānām: of brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• gṛhe: in the house
• gṛhe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sthitaḥ: staying; situated
• sthitaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पुनरुक्त-विशेषण

Speaker

A poor man (daridra), addressing Pitāmaha/Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poor man in simple cloth bows fully (praṇipāta) before Brahmā, then stands with folded hands, head slightly lowered, speaking his hardship; Brahmā listens with composed compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (implied by suraśreṣṭha in context)
• brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vinaya (humility) and truthful confession of suffering are presented as proper grounds for seeking divine guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate scene continues at Puṣkara, though this verse focuses on the petitioner’s condition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a supplication that prepares for instruction.