Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

विप्रं प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य पत्नीपुत्रसमन्वितः । पितृमातृसुहृत्सार्द्धं क्षमाप्य च विसर्जयेत्

Transliteration

vipraṃ pradakṣiṇīkṛtya patnīputrasamanvitaḥ | pitṛmātṛsuhṛtsārddhaṃ kṣamāpya ca visarjayet

Translation

Nachdem man den Brāhmaṇa rechtsherum umschritten hat, zusammen mit Ehefrau und Sohn—und auch mit Vater, Mutter und Freunden—soll man um Vergebung bitten und ihn dann ehrerbietig verabschieden.

Word by Word

• विप्रम्: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (masc. acc. sg.)

• प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य: having circumambulated
• प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + दक्षिणी + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) √कृ; उपसर्गः प्र-; अर्थः ‘प्रदक्षिणां कृत्वा’

• पत्नीपुत्रसमन्वितः: accompanied by wife and son
• पत्नीपुत्रसमन्वितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत्नी + पुत्र + समन्वित (कृदन्त; √अन्वि/अन्व् with सम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि-क्त; तत्पुरुषः (पत्नीपुत्राभ्यां समन्वितः) (masc. nom. sg.)

• पितृमातृसुहृत्सार्द्धम्: together with father, mother, and friends
• पितृमातृसुहृत्सार्द्धम्: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पितृ + मातृ + सुहृत् + सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्ययीभावः; अव्ययप्रयोगः ‘सार्धम्’ सहित (with father, mother, and friends)

• क्षमाप्य: having asked forgiveness
• क्षमाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund) causative sense in usage: ‘क्षमां याचित्वा/क्षमापयित्वा’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• विसर्जयेत्: should dismiss/send off
• विसर्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder with wife and son circles a seated brāhmaṇa at the riverbank; elders and companions stand behind; the pilgrim bows and asks forgiveness before taking leave.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Pradakṣiṇā
• Kṣamā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual concludes with humility—seeking forgiveness and honoring guests completes merit with ethical grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Revā-khaṇḍa’s Narmadā sacred framework; this verse emphasizes proper completion of observance rather than a single locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Circumambulate the honored brāhmaṇa with family and kin, ask forgiveness, and then respectfully dismiss him.