Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ततश्चावभृथस्नानं कृत्वा सत्रसमाप्तिजम् । ऋत्विजस्तर्पयित्वा तान्दक्षिणाभिर्यथार्हतः

Transliteration

tataścāvabhṛthasnānaṃ kṛtvā satrasamāptijam | ṛtvijastarpayitvā tāndakṣiṇābhiryathārhataḥ

Translation

Then, having performed the avabhṛtha bath that marks the completion of the sacrificial session, he satisfied the officiating priests (ṛtvij) with dakṣiṇā—fees and gifts—according to what was due to each.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/अनन्तरवाचक (adverb: “then/from there”)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अवभृथस्नानम्: the avabhṛtha bath (concluding bath)
• अवभृथस्नानम्: Karma (Object of कृत्वा/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवभृथ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (accusative singular)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: “having done”)

• सत्रसमाप्तिजम्: arising from the completion of the satra (sacrificial session)
• सत्रसमाप्तिजम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + समाप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (accusative singular; qualifying अवभृथस्नानम्)

• ऋत्विजः: the priests
• ऋत्विजः: Karma (Object of तर्पयित्वा/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (accusative plural)

• तर्पयित्वा: having satisfied
• तर्पयित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तृप्/तर्प् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: “having satisfied”)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (accusative plural)

• दक्षिणाभिः: with gifts/fees (dakṣiṇās)
• दक्षिणाभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• यथार्हतः: as appropriate
• यथार्हतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner adverb/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + अर्हत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: “as is proper/according to merit”)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avabhṛtha-snāna (completion bath)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king and priests proceed to the water for avabhṛtha; the king offers dakṣiṇā—cows, gold, cloth—while ṛtviks bless him; the sacrificial pavilion recedes behind.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛtvij

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A rite is completed by purification and gratitude—honoring the officiants through proper dakṣiṇā is integral to yajña-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it describes standard yajña completion practices within the chapter’s tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avabhṛtha-snāna (the concluding bath) and giving appropriate dakṣiṇā to the ṛtvij priests.