Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

जुहुवुर्मंत्रपूतेऽग्नौ चत्वारो मुख्यऋत्विजः । ब्रह्मा च कपिलो जीवो विश्वामित्रश्चतुर्थकः

Transliteration

juhuvurmaṃtrapūte'gnau catvāro mukhyaṛtvijaḥ | brahmā ca kapilo jīvo viśvāmitraścaturthakaḥ

Translation

মন্ত্রপূত অগ্নিতে চারজন প্রধান ঋত্বিক আহুতি দিলেন—ব্রহ্মা, কপিল, জীব এবং চতুর্থ বিশ্বামিত্র।

Word by Word

• जुहुवुः: they offered (into fire)
• जुहुवुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मन्त्रपूते: purified by mantras
• मन्त्रपूते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र-पूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अग्नौ); तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (मन्त्रेण पूतः)

• अग्नौ: in the fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (ऋत्विजः)

• मुख्यऋत्विजः: the chief priests
• मुख्यऋत्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख्य-ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (मुख्याः ऋत्विजः)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (Samuccaya/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• कपिलः: Kapila
• कपिलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जीवः: Jīva
• जीवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चतुर्थकः: as the fourth
• चतुर्थकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (विश्वामित्रः)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing fire-pit at center; four eminent ṛtviks—Brahmā, Kapila, Jīva, and Viśvāmitra—stand in cardinal positions, ladling ghee and offerings while chanting; sparks rise as mantra sanctifies the flames.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Kapila
• Jīva (sage)
• Viśvāmitra
• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual authority is upheld through qualified ṛtviks and mantra-sanctified action, integrating devotion with order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The abhiṣeka scene continues at the Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama tīrtha highlighted in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Homa/offerings into mantra-pūta agni conducted by chief ṛtviks as part of the abhiṣeka-related rites.