Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

यावदागच्छते विप्रो बटुभिः सह मन्दिरम् । अदर्शनाभिः कर्तव्यं तावदन्नं सुसंस्कृतम्

Transliteration

yāvadāgacchate vipro baṭubhiḥ saha mandiram | adarśanābhiḥ kartavyaṃ tāvadannaṃ susaṃskṛtam

Translation

« Jusqu’à ce que le brāhmane arrive au sanctuaire avec les jeunes élèves, demeurez hors de vue ; cependant, préparez une nourriture bien cuite et dûment assaisonnée. »

Word by Word

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/यावत्-तावत् correlative) = 'until/as long as'

• आगच्छते: comes
• आगच्छते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• विप्रः: the brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• बटुभिः: with the boys
• बटुभिः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बटु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सह/साकं = 'with')

• मन्दिरम्: to the house/temple
• मन्दिरम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अदर्शनाभिः: by (means of) invisibility/non-appearance
• अदर्शनाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; 'अदर्शन' = non-appearance/invisibility

• कर्तव्यम्: must be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: भविष्यत्कृदन्त (तव्यत्/gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (ought to be done)

• तावत्: till then/so long
• तावत्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (यावत्-तावत् correlative) = 'so long/that long'

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• सुसंस्कृतम्: well-prepared
• सुसंस्कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + संस्कृत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'अन्नम्'); 'well-prepared'

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva) (contextual deduction from the following verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhāragrāma-mandira (episode shrine)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a temple-kitchen near a forested shrine, unseen/hidden helpers (suggested as tree-deities/vanadevīs) prepare fragrant, well-cooked food while waiting for the brāhmaṇa and students to arrive.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra
• Baṭu (brahmacārin)
• Mandira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serve guests with humility and readiness—properly prepared food offered in time is a core expression of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) region in the Revā Khaṇḍa, where shrine-centered service and conduct are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical dharma-instruction: remain discreet and prepare well-cooked food for the arriving brāhmaṇa and students (atithi-sevā/anna-sevā).