Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

येनेष्टिवारुणीं तत्र कुर्मो विप्रैर्यथोचितैः । चतुर्भिर्ब्रह्मपूर्वैश्च मया चाग्नीध्रहोतृभिः

Transliteration

yeneṣṭivāruṇīṃ tatra kurmo viprairyathocitaiḥ | caturbhirbrahmapūrvaiśca mayā cāgnīdhrahotṛbhiḥ

Translation

Dort werden wir die Vāruṇī-Iṣṭi mit den dafür geeigneten Brāhmaṇas nach Vorschrift vollziehen—zu viert, beginnend mit dem Brahman-Priester, und auch mit mir sowie den Agnīdhra- und Hotṛ-Priestern.

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया एकवचन (Instrumental sg.); सम्बन्ध/उपायवाचक (by which/whereby)

• इष्टिवारुणीम्: the Vāruṇī iṣṭi (Varuṇa-related sacrifice)
• इष्टिवारुणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: iṣṭi + vāruṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.); तत्पुरुषः (vāruṇī iṣṭiḥ)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: there)

• कुर्मः: we perform
• कुर्मः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• विप्रैः: with Brahmins
• विप्रैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.)

• यथोचितैः: as is proper, duly qualified
• यथोचितैः: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yathā + ucita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन; अव्ययीभावः (yathā-ucita = as is proper); विशेषणं विप्रैः

• चतुर्भिः: with four
• चतुर्भिः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.); विशेषणं (with four)

• ब्रह्मपूर्वैः: beginning with the Brahmā-priest (brahman)
• ब्रह्मपूर्वैः: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (brahmā/purohita? brahma- = ब्रह्मा/ब्रह्मन् as first); विशेषणं (of the four)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (and)

• मया: with me / by me
• मया: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया एकवचन (Instr. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (and)

• आग्नीध्रहोतृभिः: with the āgnīdhra and hotṛ priests
• आग्नीध्रहोतृभिः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āgnīdhra + hotṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.); द्वन्द्वः (āgnīdhraś ca hotāraś ca)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacrificial enclosure near water: four principal priests are seated in order, with additional functionaries (agnīdhra, hotṛ) and the speaker overseeing; vessels and kusa are arranged; Varuṇa is invoked implicitly through water symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇa
• Vāruṇī Iṣṭi
• Vipra (priests)
• Brahman (priest)
• Agnīdhra
• Hotṛ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right worship includes right order: dharma is protected when rites are performed with properly appointed Vedic priests.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is the ritual-water locale connected with avabhṛtha and Varuṇa worship; the verse emphasizes priestly procedure more than geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Vāruṇī Iṣṭi with duly qualified vipras and designated ṛtviks (Brahman, agnīdhra, hotṛ, etc.).