Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

अग्न्याधेयं पाकयज्ञानग्निष्टोमादिकान्मखान् । यः करोति वृतो यस्य स तस्यर्त्त्विगिहोच्यते

Transliteration

agnyādheyaṃ pākayajñānagniṣṭomādikānmakhān | yaḥ karoti vṛto yasya sa tasyarttvigihocyate

Translation

যিনি নির্বাচিত হয়ে অপরের জন্য অগ্ন্যাধান, পাকযজ্ঞ এবং অগ্নিষ্টোম প্রভৃতি যজ্ঞ সম্পাদন করেন, তিনিই তাঁর ‘ঋত্বিক্’ (অধিষ্ঠাতা পুরোহিত) নামে কথিত।

Word by Word

• agni-ādheyam: the establishing of sacred fires
• agni-ādheyam: Karma (Object; with implied ‘karoti’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक) + ādheya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अग्नेः आधेयम् (establishing the sacred fires)

• pāka-yajñān: pāka-sacrifices
• pāka-yajñān: Karma (Object; with implied ‘karoti’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāka (प्रातिपदिक) + yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; पाकानां यज्ञाः (pāka-sacrifices)

• agniṣṭoma-ādikān: such as the Agniṣṭoma (etc.)
• agniṣṭoma-ādikān: Karma (Qualifier of ‘makhān’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agniṣṭoma (प्रातिपदिक) + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘beginning with Agniṣṭoma’

• makhān: sacrifices
• makhān: Karma (Object; with implied ‘karoti’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject of relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• karoti: performs
• karoti: Kriya (Relative-clause verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• vṛtaḥ: having been chosen
• vṛtaḥ: Karta (Qualifier of ‘yaḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vṛ (धातु) + क्त (past passive participle)
• Form: क्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘chosen/engaged’

• yasya: of whom/whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject of main clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ṛtvij: ṛtvij (officiating priest)
• ṛtvij: Karta (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtvij (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (predicate nominative)

• iha: here (in this context)
• iha: Desha/Avyaya-bhāva (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: here/in this context)

• ucyate: is called
• ucyate: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic sacrificial ground: three sacred fires, ṛtvik priests in white, ladles and soma vessels, patron seated respectfully; flames rising as mantras are chanted.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agniṣṭoma
• Agni (sacred fires)
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through well-defined sacred roles; ritual specialists serve the sacrificer by correct performance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

While not naming a single tīrtha, the verse sits within Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharmic exposition associated with Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of agnyādheya, pāka-yajñas, and Agniṣṭoma-type sacrifices by an appointed ṛtvik.