Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठस्य मुनेः शिष्यो यज्वा दानपतिः प्रभुः । तेनेष्टं च मखैः सर्वैरग्निष्टोमादिभिः सदा

Transliteration

vasiṣṭhasya muneḥ śiṣyo yajvā dānapatiḥ prabhuḥ | teneṣṭaṃ ca makhaiḥ sarvairagniṣṭomādibhiḥ sadā

Translation

كان تلميذًا للموني فاسيشتها، مُقيمًا لليَجْنَة، سيّدًا في العطاء، وحاكمًا مقتدرًا؛ وكان يواظب على إقامة شتّى القرابين، مبتدئًا بأغنيشتوما (Agniṣṭoma) وما سواه.

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठस्य: of Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• मुनेः: of the sage
• मुनेः: Sambandha (Appositional genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिष्यः: disciple
• शिष्यः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यज्वा: sacrificer
• यज्वा: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज् (धातु) → यज्वन् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; यजमानार्थक-शब्दः (one who performs sacrifices)

• दानपतिः: master of charity
• दानपतिः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दानस्य पतिः = lord of gifts)

• प्रभुः: mighty lord
• प्रभुः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• इष्टम्: was sacrificed / was performed
• इष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु) → इष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘यज्ञः कृतः’ (sacrifice was performed)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मखैः: with sacrifices
• मखैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: with all
• सर्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying मखैः)

• अग्निष्टोमादिभिः: with Agniṣṭoma and others
• अग्निष्टोमादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टोम + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘आदि’ (agniṣṭoma etc.)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triśaṅku at a yajña: sacred fire blazing, Vasiṣṭha seated as ācārya, priests chanting; the king offers oblations and gifts, embodying rāja-vaidika devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Triśaṅku
• Vasiṣṭha
• Agniṣṭoma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma honors the integrated path of yajña (sacrificial duty), dāna (charity), and guidance under a realized guru.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is explicitly named; the verse establishes Triśaṅku’s ritual merit as background for the tīrtha-related episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Vedic sacrifices, explicitly including Agniṣṭoma, along with ongoing commitment to ritual duty.