Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

इति निश्चित्य मनसा समुज्ज्वाल्य हुताशनम् । तं ब्राह्मणं समाहूय ददौ पत्नीं सहोदकाम्

Transliteration

iti niścitya manasā samujjvālya hutāśanam | taṃ brāhmaṇaṃ samāhūya dadau patnīṃ sahodakām

Translation

Having thus resolved in his mind and kindled the sacred fire, he summoned that brāhmaṇa and gave him his wife, along with the water-rite as formal confirmation.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-अव्यय (thus)

• निश्चित्य: having decided
• निश्चित्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+चित् (धातु) → निश्चित्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; ‘निर्णयम् कृत्वा’

• मनसा: with (his) mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (with mind)

• समुज्ज्वाल्य: having kindled
• समुज्ज्वाल्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उद्+ज्वल् (धातु) → समुज्ज्वाल्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; ‘प्रज्वाल्य’

• हुताशनम्: the fire (consumer of offerings)
• हुताशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुत-आशन (प्रातिपदिक; हुत=आहुत, आशन=भक्षक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘यः हुतं अश्नाति सः’ = अग्निः

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; निर्देश-विशेषण

• ब्राह्मणम्: Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• समाहूय: having called
• समाहूय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+ह्वे (धातु) → समाहूय (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; ‘आहूय’

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पत्नीम्: wife
• पत्नीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• सहोदकाम्: together with water (libation)
• सहोदकाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह-उदक (प्रातिपदिक; सह=सहित, उदक=जल)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘उदकेन सहिताम्’ (with water, i.e., with libation)

Speaker

Narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing sacrificial fire in the foreground; the king pours water from a vessel as the formal 'udaka' confirmation while the brāhmaṇa receives; the queen stands between worlds—present yet objectified—capturing the tragedy of ritualized transfer.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Hutāśana (Fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It shows how ritual formality can accompany ethically fraught decisions, underscoring the need for discernment beyond mere procedure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse focuses on ritual action within the story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The use of fire (hutāśana) and giving ‘with water’ (sahodaka) indicates a formal dāna procedure.