Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

अग्न्याधेयं पाकयज्ञानग्निष्टोमादिकान्मखान् । यः करोति वृतो यस्य स तस्यर्त्त्विगिहोच्यते

Transliteration

agnyādheyaṃ pākayajñānagniṣṭomādikānmakhān | yaḥ karoti vṛto yasya sa tasyarttvigihocyate

Translation

He who, being chosen, performs for another the establishing of sacred fires, the domestic offerings, and sacrifices such as the Agniṣṭoma—he is here called that person’s ṛtvik (officiating priest).

Word by Word

• agni-ādheyam: the establishing of sacred fires
• agni-ādheyam: Karma (Object; with implied ‘karoti’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक) + ādheya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अग्नेः आधेयम् (establishing the sacred fires)

• pāka-yajñān: pāka-sacrifices
• pāka-yajñān: Karma (Object; with implied ‘karoti’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāka (प्रातिपदिक) + yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; पाकानां यज्ञाः (pāka-sacrifices)

• agniṣṭoma-ādikān: such as the Agniṣṭoma (etc.)
• agniṣṭoma-ādikān: Karma (Qualifier of ‘makhān’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agniṣṭoma (प्रातिपदिक) + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘beginning with Agniṣṭoma’

• makhān: sacrifices
• makhān: Karma (Object; with implied ‘karoti’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject of relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• karoti: performs
• karoti: Kriya (Relative-clause verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• vṛtaḥ: having been chosen
• vṛtaḥ: Karta (Qualifier of ‘yaḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vṛ (धातु) + क्त (past passive participle)
• Form: क्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘chosen/engaged’

• yasya: of whom/whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject of main clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ṛtvij: ṛtvij (officiating priest)
• ṛtvij: Karta (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtvij (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (predicate nominative)

• iha: here (in this context)
• iha: Desha/Avyaya-bhāva (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: here/in this context)

• ucyate: is called
• ucyate: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic sacrificial ground: three sacred fires, ṛtvik priests in white, ladles and soma vessels, patron seated respectfully; flames rising as mantras are chanted.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agniṣṭoma
• Agni (sacred fires)
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through well-defined sacred roles; ritual specialists serve the sacrificer by correct performance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

While not naming a single tīrtha, the verse sits within Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharmic exposition associated with Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of agnyādheya, pāka-yajñas, and Agniṣṭoma-type sacrifices by an appointed ṛtvik.