Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वेदज्ञायातिशुचये स्नात्वा पीडापनुत्तये । होमं च कारयेत्तत्र ग्रहजाप्यविधानतः

Transliteration

vedajñāyātiśucaye snātvā pīḍāpanuttaye | homaṃ ca kārayettatra grahajāpyavidhānataḥ

Translation

Nachdem man sich dort zur Abwendung der Bedrängnis gebadet hat, soll man dort ein Homa nach den vorgeschriebenen Regeln der planetarischen Mantra‑Japa ausführen lassen, durch einen Veda‑Kenner von außergewöhnlicher Reinheit.

Word by Word

• वेदज्ञाय: to the knower of the Veda
• वेदज्ञाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—वेदस्य ज्ञः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• अतिशुचये: to the very pure one
• अतिशुचये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिशुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वेदज्ञाय)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वक्रिया—‘having bathed’

• पीडापनुत्तये: for the removal of affliction
• पीडापनुत्तये: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीडा-अपनुत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—पीडायाः अपनुत्तिः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• होमम्: a fire-offering (homa)
• होमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• कारयेत्: should have (it) performed
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)—‘should cause to be done/should have performed’

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

• ग्रहजाप्यविधानतः: according to the prescribed method of planetary japa
• ग्रहजाप्यविधानतः: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ग्रह-जाप्य-विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-तसिल् (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’; समासः—(i) ग्रहस्य जाप्यम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः, (ii) जाप्यस्य विधानम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; अर्थः—‘विधानानुसारतः’

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa dialogic style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (Sarayū-associated śānti tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A purified Veda-knower priest leads graha-mantra japa and homa after the devotee’s snāna; ritual order and cleanliness emphasized.

Characters & Entities

• graha (planetary deities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred bathing and properly guided Vedic ritual, done with purity and right method, are praised as dhārmic means to remove suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha within Ayodhyā’s sacred geography (Ayodhyāmāhātmya context), where snāna and homa are said to be especially efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) followed by homa (fire-offering) performed according to graha-japa regulations, ideally with a learned and very pure Veda-knower.