Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । अश्वत्थलाक्षावह्नौ च सर्षपान्केसरप्लुतान् । जुह्वतो मंत्रमुख्यैश्च बलातिबलसंज्ञकैः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | aśvatthalākṣāvahnau ca sarṣapānkesaraplutān | juhvato maṃtramukhyaiśca balātibalasaṃjñakaiḥ

Translation

Sūta said: As they were offering oblations into the fire fed with aśvattha-wood and lac, casting mustard-seeds moistened with saffron, and invoking the foremost mantras known as Balā and Atibalā,

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta (the narrator)
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• aśvattha-lākṣā-vahnau: in the fire (fed with) aśvattha and lac
• aśvattha-lākṣā-vahnau: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvattha (प्रातिपदिक) + lākṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (aśvattha- and lākṣā- fire)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• sarṣapān: mustard seeds
• sarṣapān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarṣapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• kesara-plutān: soaked in kesara (saffron/pollen)
• kesara-plutān: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kesara (प्रातिपदिक) + pluta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √plu/प्लु 'to float/soak')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (kesareṇa plutān = soaked in saffron/pollen)

• juhvataḥ: of one who is offering (into the fire)
• juhvataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hu (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), परस्मैपद; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन/बहुवचन (contextual: 'of (him/them) who is/are offering')

• mantra-mukhyaiḥ: with the chief mantras
• mantra-mukhyaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + mukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (mantrāṇāṃ mukhyaiḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• balātibala-saṃjñakaiḥ: with (mantras) named Bala and Atibala
• balātibala-saṃjñakaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balātibala (प्रातिपदिक; bala + atibala) + saṃjñaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (balātibala-iti saṃjñā yaiḥ)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night homa: fire altar blazing; priests offer aśvattha-wood and lac; mustard seeds glisten with saffron; mantra syllables visualized as radiant bands labeled Balā and Atibalā rising from the flames.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Balā
• Atibalā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma integrates mantra and yajña—focused offerings with sacred substances support protective and empowering rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified in this verse; it introduces a ritual scene within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A homa using aśvattha-wood and lac as fuel, offering mustard seeds mixed with saffron while reciting Balā/Atibalā mantras.