Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 190

Devanagari script

चतुर्भिर्ब्राह्मणैः शस्तं द्वाभ्यां योग्यैश्च कारयेत् । एकेन सार्द्रकुम्भेन दाम्पत्यमभिषेचयेत्

Transliteration

caturbhirbrāhmaṇaiḥ śastaṃ dvābhyāṃ yogyaiśca kārayet | ekena sārdrakumbhena dāmpatyamabhiṣecayet

Translation

Il est louable que le rite soit accompli par quatre brāhmaṇa, ou, au besoin, par deux personnes qualifiées. Avec une seule jarre pleine d’eau, qu’on confère l’abhiṣeka au mari et à l’épouse ensemble.

Word by Word

• चतुर्भिः: with four
• चतुर्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

• ब्राह्मणैः: by/with Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• शस्तम्: prescribed/commended
• शस्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शस्त (कृदन्त; √शंस् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• द्वाभ्याम्: with two
• द्वाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• योग्यैः: with qualified (persons)
• योग्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

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

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

• एकेन: with one
• एकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• सार्द्रकुम्भेन: with a moist/wet pot (jar)
• सार्द्रकुम्भेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार्द्र + कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (विशेषण-विशेष्य)

• दाम्पत्यम्: the couple / married pair
• दाम्पत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाम्पत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अभिषेचयेत्: should anoint/bathe (ritually)
• अभिषेचयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सिच् (धातु) (अभि-उपसर्ग + णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; अभि-उपसर्ग, णिच्-प्रयोग

Speaker

Narrator within Revākhaṇḍa (ritual-vidhi instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (general Revākhaṇḍa setting)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical Purāṇic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the riverbank pavilion, two or four brāhmaṇas arrange a single water-pot; the husband and wife sit together as the officiant pours consecrated water over both in a synchronized abhiṣeka.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Kumbha
• Abhiṣeka
• Dāmpatya (couple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites are to be done with proper competence and order; even when simplified, qualification and sanctity are emphasized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The abhiṣeka instruction is situated in the Eraṇḍī-saṅgama confluence context of the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the rite with four Brāhmaṇas (or two qualified), and anoint the couple using one water-pot (kumbha).