Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

इष्टबन्धूंश्च विष्णुं च शङ्करं सगणेश्वरम् । व्रजेद्द्विजाभ्यनुज्ञातो गृहीत्वा नियमानपि

Transliteration

iṣṭabandhūṃśca viṣṇuṃ ca śaṅkaraṃ sagaṇeśvaram | vrajeddvijābhyanujñāto gṛhītvā niyamānapi

Translation

Nachdem er den geliebten Verwandten, Viṣṇu und Śaṅkara samt Gaṇeśa Verehrung erwiesen hat und die Erlaubnis der Zweimalgeborenen (Brāhmaṇas) erlangte, soll er aufbrechen und dabei auch die vorgeschriebenen Zügelungen auf sich nehmen.

Word by Word

• इष्टबन्धून्: dear relatives
• इष्टबन्धून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इष्टानां बन्धवः)

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

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• शङ्करम्: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शङ्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सगणेश्वरम्: together with Gaṇeśvara
• सगणेश्वरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्ययार्थ) + गणेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सहार्थक-तत्पुरुषः (गणेश्वरेण सह)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• द्विजाभ्यनुज्ञातः: permitted by the Brahmins
• द्विजाभ्यनुज्ञातः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुज्ञात (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजैः अनुज्ञातः = permitted by the twice-born)

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having taken)

• नियमान्: disciplines/vows
• नियमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (also/even)

Speaker

Unspecified (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa/rajendra (king addressed in subsequent verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, after bowing to elders and kinsmen, stands before a small shrine where Viṣṇu and Śaṅkara are honored, with Gaṇeśa invoked for auspicious beginnings; brāhmaṇas grant permission as the pilgrim takes vows and prepares to depart toward the river tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śaṅkara
• Gaṇeśa
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A righteous pilgrimage begins with reverence—toward family, deities, and learned elders—and with disciplined observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified; the verse lays down general yātrā-vidhi within the Revā Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer respects to Viṣṇu, Śiva, and Gaṇeśa; seek brāhmaṇa approval; undertake niyamas before starting the journey.