Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

अग्निं प्रज्वलितं काष्ठैर्दृष्ट्वा शंकरभूपतिः । स्नात्वाचम्य विशुद्धात्मा मुनीनां संनिधौ तदा

Transliteration

agniṃ prajvalitaṃ kāṣṭhairdṛṣṭvā śaṃkarabhūpatiḥ | snātvācamya viśuddhātmā munīnāṃ saṃnidhau tadā

Translation

Als König Śaṅkara das von Holz genährte, lodernde Feuer sah, badete er und vollzog das Ācamana; mit geläutertem Geist stand er darauf in Gegenwart der Weisen.

Word by Word

• अग्निम्: fire
• अग्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रज्वलितम्: kindled, blazing
• प्रज्वलितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√ज्वल् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अग्निम् इति विशेष्येण सह)

• काष्ठैः: with pieces of wood
• काष्ठैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• शंकरभूपतिः: Śaṅkara, the king
• शंकरभूपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर + भूपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शंकरस्य भूपतिः)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• आचम्य: having sipped water (ācamanam)
• आचम्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चम् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष (gerund)

• विशुद्धात्मा: pure-souled
• विशुद्धात्मा: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्ध + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (विशुद्धः आत्मा यस्य/विशुद्धात्मा)

• मुनीनाम्: of the sages
• मुनीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• संनिधौ: in the presence
• संनिधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing fire fed with wood; King Śaṅkara, freshly bathed, performs ācamana and stands with purified mind before assembled sages.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Pāṇḍya king)
• Agni
• sages (muni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes inner and outer purification—snāna and ācamana—before weighty actions, especially before holy witnesses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra (Setukhaṇḍa), where bathing (snāna) is a hallmark pilgrimage act in the broader māhātmya tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) and ācamana (ritual sipping of water) are explicitly mentioned.