Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

शान्तदान्तजितक्रोधाञ्छास्त्रयुक्तान् विचक्षणान् । तेषां चैवोपदेशेन करीषाग्निं प्रसाधयेत्

Transliteration

śāntadāntajitakrodhāñchāstrayuktān vicakṣaṇān | teṣāṃ caivopadeśena karīṣāgniṃ prasādhayet

Translation

عليه أن يقصد الساكنين، المتحكّمين في النفس، الغالبين للغضب، الراسخين في الشاسترا، ذوي البصيرة؛ وبإرشادهم يُعِدّ على الوجه اللائق نارَ روثِ البقر للطقس.

Word by Word

• शान्तदान्तजितक्रोधान्: the calm, self-controlled, anger-conquering (ones)
• शान्तदान्तजितक्रोधान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + दान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + जित (कृदन्त, √जि) + क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; समासः—विशेषणसमूहः (शान्तः दान्तः जितक्रोधः इति)

• शास्त्रयुक्तान्: versed in the scriptures
• शास्त्रयुक्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त, √युज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—शास्त्रेण युक्ताः (instrumental sense)

• विचक्षणान्: discerning, wise
• विचक्षणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (सामान्य-प्रयोगः), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• उपदेशेन: by instruction, through teaching
• उपदेशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• करीषाग्निम्: the dung-fire
• करीषाग्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करीष (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—करीषस्य अग्निः (dung-fire)

• प्रसाधयेत्: should prepare/arrange
• प्रसाधयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √साध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tirtha-māhātmya context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (implied by nearby verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker approaches serene, ascetic, scripture-knowing elders seated near a riverbank hermitage; they instruct him as he arranges a small homa-kuṇḍa and prepares a cow-dung fire with careful, reverent movements.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual disciplines should be undertaken under the guidance of calm, restrained, and scripture-competent elders.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse focuses on proper guidance and ritual setup.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparing the karīṣāgni (cow-dung fire) according to the upadeśa (instruction) of qualified, śāstra-grounded teachers.