Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

निःशेषं भस्मसात्कृत्वा हुतभुग्याति भारत । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन ब्राह्मणेभ्यो युधिष्ठिर । भक्तिः कार्या नृपैः सर्वैरिच्छद्भिः श्रेय आत्मनः

Transliteration

niḥśeṣaṃ bhasmasātkṛtvā hutabhugyāti bhārata | tasmātsarvaprayatnena brāhmaṇebhyo yudhiṣṭhira | bhaktiḥ kāryā nṛpaiḥ sarvairicchadbhiḥ śreya ātmanaḥ

Translation

L’ayant entièrement réduit en cendres, Agni le consume, ô Bhārata. C’est pourquoi, ô Yudhiṣṭhira, de tout effort les rois doivent offrir une vénération dévote aux Brāhmaṇas, car tout souverain qui désire son bien suprême doit agir ainsi.

Word by Word

• niḥśeṣam: completely, without remainder
• niḥśeṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niḥśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• bhasmasāt: to ashes, into ash-state
• bhasmasāt: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhasman + sāt (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभाव-समास)
• Form: अव्ययम् (क्रियाविशेषणम्); ‘भस्म’ + ‘सात्’ = ‘भस्मभावं’

• kṛtvā: having done/made
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• hutabhuk: Agni (fire, eater of offerings)
• hutabhuk: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hutabhuj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘हुतं भुङ्क्ते’ इति (अग्निः)

• yāti: goes, proceeds
• yāti: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (या धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• bhārata: O Bhārata
• bhārata: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (हेतु/तस्मात् = therefore)

• sarva-prayatnena: with every effort
• sarva-prayatnena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarva + prayatna (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (instrumental adverbial: with all effort)

• brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: to the brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन

• yudhiṣṭhira: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• yudhiṣṭhira: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yudhiṣṭhira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhaktiḥ: devotion, reverence
• bhaktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kāryā: to be done/should be performed
• kāryā: Vidhi (Obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातु से)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligative), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• nṛpaiḥ: by kings
• nṛpaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृ-करण), बहुवचन

• sarvaiḥ: by all
• sarvaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (नृपैः)

• icchadbhiḥ: by those desiring
• icchadbhiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣ (इष्/इच्छ् धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (नृपैः)

• śreyaḥ: welfare, the good
• śreyaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (इच्छद्भिः)

• ātmanaḥ: of oneself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

Speaker

Vyāsa (explicit addressee: Yudhiṣṭhira; discourse style: rāja-dharma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu (Revākhaṇḍa)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic court-scene: a dharma-teacher addresses Yudhiṣṭhira; behind them a sacrificial fire blazes, symbolizing Agni’s consuming justice; Brāhmaṇas sit as honored guests while the king listens in humility.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Hutabhuk)
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler’s welfare depends on protecting dharma by reverently supporting Brāhmaṇas and not violating righteous gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the teaching supports the dharmic ethos of the Revā region’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kings are enjoined to practice bhakti/respectful service toward Brāhmaṇas as a sustained dharmic duty.