Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

विप्रा दुर्मनसो भूत्वा गता राज्ञो हि मन्दिरम् । वह्निनाशं विमनसो राजानमिदमब्रुवन्

Transliteration

viprā durmanaso bhūtvā gatā rājño hi mandiram | vahnināśaṃ vimanaso rājānamidamabruvan

Translation

Die Brahmanen wurden kummervoll und gingen in den Palast des Königs. Bestürzt über den Verlust des heiligen Feuers sprachen sie zum König diese Worte.

Word by Word

• विप्राः: brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st) बहुवचन

• दुर्मनसः: downcast, unhappy-minded
• दुर्मनसः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (whose mind is bad); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st) बहुवचन; विशेषण (of ‘विप्राः’)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) → भूत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• गताः: went
• गताः: Kriyā (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st) बहुवचन; कर्तरि (agreeing with ‘विप्राः’)

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th) एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/कारणसूचक (indeed/for)

• मन्दिरम्: palace, house
• मन्दिरम्: Karma (Object/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन

• वह्निनाशम्: the disappearance of Agni
• वह्निनाशम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (destruction/disappearance of fire); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन

• विमनसः: dejected
• विमनसः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (whose mind is disturbed); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st) बहुवचन; विशेषण (of ‘विप्राः’)

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma (Object/recipient of speech)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object: what was said)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; वाक्यवस्तु (content of speech)

• अब्रुवन्: said, spoke
• अब्रुवन्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Outer ṛṣi audience; inner scene is priests addressing the king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sorrowful brāhmaṇas leave the yajña ground and enter the palace; their faces are downcast, hands clasped, as they report the loss of Agni to the troubled king.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Rājā
• Vahni (Agni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When sacred order is disturbed, spiritual leaders must inform temporal authority; kingship includes responsibility for ritual stability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly concerns maintaining the yajña’s agni; no step-by-step prescription is stated.