Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

एवं तु भोजयेत्तत्र बह्वृचं वेदपारगम् । शाखान्तर्गमथाध्वर्युं छन्दोगं वा समाप्तिगम्

Transliteration

evaṃ tu bhojayettatra bahvṛcaṃ vedapāragam | śākhāntargamathādhvaryuṃ chandogaṃ vā samāptigam

Translation

So soll man dort einen Bahvṛca speisen, einen Ṛgveda-Kenner, der das jenseitige Ufer der Veden erreicht hat; ebenso einen Adhvaryu aus einer anerkannten Śākhā oder einen Chāndoga, der sein Studium vollendet hat.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb: “thus”)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• भोजयेत्: should feed
• भोजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भोजय् (धातु; √भुज्, णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• बह्वृचम्: a Bahvṛca (Rigvedic reciter)
• बह्वृचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बह्वृच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (ऋग्वेद-शाखाध्यायी)

• वेदपारगम्: one who has mastered the Veda
• वेदपारगम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वेदस्य पारगः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies बह्वृचम्)

• शाखान्तर्गम्: belonging to a (Vedic) branch
• शाखान्तर्गम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाखा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शाखायाम् अन्तर्गतः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies अध्वर्युम्)

• अथ: then/also
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चय (sequencing particle: “then/also”)

• अध्वर्युम्: an Adhvaryu priest
• अध्वर्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• छन्दोगम्: a Chāndoga (Sāmavedic singer)
• छन्दोगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle: “or”)

• समाप्तिगम्: one who has reached completion (of study/rite)
• समाप्तिगम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-प्राय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (समाप्तिं गतः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies छन्दोगम्/अध्वर्युम्)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Soma-tīrtha (within Revā-khaṇḍa)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three learned brāhmaṇas representing Ṛg (Bahvṛca), Yajur (Adhvaryu), and Sāma (Chāndoga) sit near a tīrtha shrine; each holds a distinct manuscript/ritual implement; the donor offers food and dakṣiṇā in orderly sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Bahvṛca
• Adhvaryu
• Chāndoga
• Veda
• Śākhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna becomes most fruitful when offered respectfully to those established in sacred learning and disciplined completion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somatīrtha, where proper hospitality to Veda-knowers is presented as a key dharmic act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feed qualified Vedic specialists—Bahvṛca, Adhvaryu, or Chāndoga—especially those who have completed their studies.