Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

वरिष्ठमग्निहोत्राद्धि ब्राह्मणस्य मुखे हुतम् । विप्राणां वपुराश्रित्य सर्वास्तिष्ठंति देवताः

Transliteration

variṣṭhamagnihotrāddhi brāhmaṇasya mukhe hutam | viprāṇāṃ vapurāśritya sarvāstiṣṭhaṃti devatāḥ

Translation

Höher noch als das Agnihotra ist, was in den Mund eines Brahmanen dargebracht wird. Indem sie im Leib der Vipras, der Gelehrten, Zuflucht nehmen, verweilen alle Gottheiten.

Word by Word

• वरिष्ठम्: the best, most excellent
• वरिष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; वर-शब्दस्य तमत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तमत्-प्रत्यय (superlative)

• अग्निहोत्रात्: from the Agnihotra sacrifice
• अग्निहोत्रात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निहोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—अग्नौ होत्रम् इति (तत्पुरुष)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अर्थे—खलु/नूनम् (indeed)

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• मुखे: in the mouth
• मुखे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• हुतम्: offered, poured (as oblation)
• हुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → हुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘हूयते’ इत्यर्थः

• विप्राणाम्: of the Brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• वपुः: body, form
• वपुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to, depending on
• आश्रित्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) + ल्यप् (प्रत्यय) → आश्रित्य (अव्ययीभाव-भावे कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund), क्रियाविशेषण; अर्थः—आश्रयम् कृत्वा (having resorted to)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; ‘देवताः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तिष्ठन्ति: stand, abide
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• देवताः: deities
• देवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the assembled sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim offers food/water into the hands/mouth of a seated brahmana; above or subtly within him, multiple deities are suggested as residing—an adbhuta ‘living shrine’ motif; a small homa-fire in the background contrasts with the ‘mouth-offering’.

Characters & Entities

• Agnihotra
• Brāhmaṇa
• Devatāḥ (deities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality and giving to the worthy (especially feeding Brāhmaṇas) is exalted as a high form of sacrifice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where dāna and satkāra are integral to pilgrimage merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering food to Brāhmaṇas (anna-dāna/atithi-sevā) is praised as surpassing even agnihotra in excellence.