Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तथा वै गार्हपत्योऽग्निर्जज्ञे पुत्रद्वयं शुभम् । पद्मकः शङ्कुनामा च तावुभावग्निसत्तमौ

Transliteration

tathā vai gārhapatyo'gnirjajñe putradvayaṃ śubham | padmakaḥ śaṅkunāmā ca tāvubhāvagnisattamau

Translation

De même, de l’Agni Gārhapatya naquirent deux fils de bon augure : Padmaka et l’un nommé Śaṅku ; tous deux excellents parmi les feux.

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• गार्हपत्यः: Gārhapatya (fire)
• गार्हपत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• अग्निः: Agni
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular (apposition)

• जज्ञे: was born, came into being
• जज्ञे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — 3rd sg; आत्मनेपद

• पुत्रद्वयम्: a pair of sons
• पुत्रद्वयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण (पुत्रद्वयम्)

• पद्मकः: Padmaka
• पद्मकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• शङ्कुनामा: (one) named Śaṅku
• शङ्कुनामा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कु + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (नाम-समास: ‘named X’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन — Nominative dual (pronoun)

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — Nominative dual; विशेषण (तौ)

• अग्निसत्तमौ: the best among fires
• अग्निसत्तमौ: Pratipadyartha (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — Nominative dual

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in the verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (mahārāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gārhapatya Agni as a stable hearth-flame gives rise to two smaller flame-personifications: Padmaka (lotus-associated, gentle radiance) and Śaṅku (pillar/spike-associated, steady pointed flame).

Characters & Entities

• Gārhapatya Agni
• Padmaka
• Śaṅku

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas portray sacred powers as living lineages—Agni’s forms generate auspicious energies that support ritual and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) sacred landscape frames the narrative, though this verse itself focuses on Agni’s lineage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, it continues the Vedic-fire framework (Gārhapatya), highlighting the sanctity of maintaining the household fire.