Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

वेदविद्याव्रतस्नातं सर्वशास्त्रविशारदम् । पूजयित्वा यथान्यायं वाचयेत्पाण्डुनन्दन

Transliteration

vedavidyāvratasnātaṃ sarvaśāstraviśāradam | pūjayitvā yathānyāyaṃ vācayetpāṇḍunandana

Translation

O Sohn des Pāṇḍu, nachdem man nach rechter Ordnung einen in vedischer Lehre Geschulten geehrt hat, der durch Gelübde und heiliges Bad gereinigt und in allen Śāstras bewandert ist, soll man ihn sodann bitten, die heiligen Texte gemäß der Vorschrift zu rezitieren.

Word by Word

• वेदविद्याव्रतस्नातम्: bathed/initiated in Vedic learning and vows (i.e., duly trained)
• वेदविद्याव्रतस्नातम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नात (कृदन्त; √स्ना धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन — qualifying विप्रम् (understood); समासः (तत्पुरुष): वेदविद्याव्रतेषु स्नातः

• सर्वशास्त्रविशारदम्: skilled in all scriptures
• सर्वशास्त्रविशारदम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन — qualifying (him); समासः (तत्पुरुष): सर्वेषु शास्त्रेषु विशारदः

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having worshipped’

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण — ‘as/according to’

• न्यायम्: proper rule; procedure
• न्यायम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन — used adverbially with यथा (‘according to rule’)

• वाचयेत्: should have (him) recite
• वाचयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + णिच् (प्रयोजक)
• Form: विधिलिङ्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन — causative ‘should cause to recite/read’

• पाण्डुनन्दन: O son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति; एकवचन — Vocative; समासः (तत्पुरुष): पाण्डोः नन्दनः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The patron bows and offers respectful worship; the learned brāhmaṇa, freshly bathed and composed, begins recitation from a manuscript/palm-leaf or by memory; listeners sit attentively around the altar.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍu-nandana (listener addressed)
• Veda
• Śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is preserved by honoring authentic learning and disciplined conduct, and by hearing sacred recitation in the right way.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā-khaṇḍa context supports Narmadā-region piety; this verse focuses on the authority of Vedic-śāstric recitation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After formally honoring a qualified brāhmaṇa, request him to recite the appropriate texts according to proper procedure.