Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

मंत्रेणानेन विप्रेन्द्र केशवाय निवेदयेत् । पुनराचमनं देयमन्नदानादनंतरम्

Transliteration

maṃtreṇānena viprendra keśavāya nivedayet | punarācamanaṃ deyamannadānādanaṃtaram

Translation

„O Bester der Brāhmaṇas“, mit eben diesem Mantra soll man die Darbringung Keśava darreichen. Nach der Speisenspende soll sogleich erneut Ācamana gegeben (oder vollzogen) werden.

Word by Word

• मन्त्रेण: by the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Instrumental singular (pronoun)

• विप्रेन्द्र: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Vocative singular

• केशवाय: to Keśava
• केशवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन — Dative singular

• निवेदयेत्: should offer (present)
• निवेदयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√विद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — should offer/present

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — adverb

• आचमनम्: sipping (ācamana)
• आचमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• देयम्: should be done/given
• देयम्: Kriya (Injunctive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/अनियत-कर्तृक), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — gerundive: ‘to be given/should be done’

• अन्नदानात्: after the giving of food
• अन्नदानात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन — Ablative singular

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular (used adverbially)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest recites a mantra while presenting an offering to Keśava; nearby, a devotee distributes food to recipients; immediately after, the giver performs ācamanam with a small spoon and water vessel.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava
• Viṣṇu
• brāhmaṇa (viprendra)
• anna-dāna
• ācāmana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right order and purity in worship—mantra, offering to Viṣṇu, charity, and purification—complete the dharmic act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a general tīrtha-mahātmya ritual framework; it highlights the worship of Keśava within tīrtha observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer to Keśava using the prescribed mantra; after anna-dāna, perform/give ācamana again immediately.