Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

श्राद्धेन हव्यकव्येन शिवपूजार्चनेन च । अग्निष्टोमादियज्ञैश्च विधिवच्चाप्तदक्षिणैः

Transliteration

śrāddhena havyakavyena śivapūjārcanena ca | agniṣṭomādiyajñaiśca vidhivaccāptadakṣiṇaiḥ

Translation

وبإقامة شرادها (śrāddha) مع قرابين هافيا وكافيا (havya, kavya)، وبعبادة شيفا وتقديم الأرشنة له، وبالذبائح كالأغنيشتوما (Agniṣṭoma) المؤدّاة على وفق الشرع والمختومة بالدكشِنا (dakṣiṇā) الواجبة، (يُنال المراد من الثواب).

Word by Word

• श्राद्धेन: by śrāddha (ancestral rite)
• श्राद्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• हव्यकव्येन: with havya and kavya offerings
• हव्यकव्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य + कव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः—हव्य-कव्य (offerings to gods and ancestors)

• शिवपूजार्चनेन: by worship and adoration of Śiva
• शिवपूजार्चनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + पूजा + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः—पूजा-अर्चन (worship and adoration) शिवस्य

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अग्निष्टोमादियज्ञैः: by sacrifices such as Agniṣṭoma
• अग्निष्टोमादियज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टोम + आदि + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समासः—अग्निष्टोम-आदि-यज्ञ (sacrifices such as Agniṣṭoma)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विधिवत्: according to rule/properly
• विधिवत्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आप्तदक्षिणैः: with duly provided priestly fees
• आप्तदक्षिणैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप्त + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक (दक्षिणा) तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (यज्ञैः इत्यस्य); समासः—आप्त-दक्षिणा (having duly given fees)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (Revākhaṇḍa context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual pavilion near the river: priests conduct śrāddha with piṇḍa/tilodaka nearby, another group performs Śiva-arcana at a liṅga, and a Vaidika altar suggests Agniṣṭoma with offerings and dakṣiṇā being presented.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Havya
• Kavya
• Śiva
• Agniṣṭoma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma harmonizes three duties—toward gods (havya), ancestors (kavya), and Śiva-bhakti—supported by correctly performed yajña and generosity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual program is framed within the Devakhāta/Māṇḍaveśvara tīrtha māhātmya of Āvantya Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha with havya-kavya, Śiva pūjā/arcana, and Vedic sacrifices like Agniṣṭoma performed vidhivat with appropriate dakṣiṇā.