Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अथवा प्रणवाशक्तो द्विजेभ्यो गुरवे तथा । पञ्चाग्नौ शोषयेद्देहमापृच्छ्य द्विजसत्तमान्

Transliteration

athavā praṇavāśakto dvijebhyo gurave tathā | pañcāgnau śoṣayeddehamāpṛcchya dvijasattamān

Translation

Ou bien, voué au Praṇava (Oṃ) et de même aux deux-fois-nés ainsi qu’à son guru, après avoir pris congé des meilleurs des brāhmaṇas, qu’il dessèche (mortifie) le corps au milieu des cinq feux.

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or else)

• प्रणव-अशक्तः: unable (to recite) the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणव-अशक्तः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणवाशक्त (प्रातिपदिक); प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक) + अशक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• द्विजेभ्यः: to the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Dative/Ablative 4th/5th), बहुवचन

• गुरवे: to the teacher
• गुरवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक अव्यय (so/likewise)

• पञ्च-अग्नौ: in the five fires
• पञ्च-अग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाग्नि (प्रातिपदिक); पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• शोषयेत्: should dry up (emaciate)
• शोषयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुष् (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त (शोषय-) ; विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• देहम्: the body
• देहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आपृच्छ्य: having asked/consulted
• आपृच्छ्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: उपसर्ग-युक्त (आ+पृच्छ्) ल्यप्/absolutive in -ya; अव्ययभाव

• द्विज-सत्तमान्: the best of the twice-born
• द्विज-सत्तमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक); द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcāgni-tapas sthala (generic within Revā-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic sits amid the pañcāgni: four fires around and the sun overhead; nearby stand venerable brāhmaṇas granting leave; the ascetic holds a japa-mālā, focused on Oṃ.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity must be grounded in sacred sound (Oṃ), reverence for teachers, and accountability to the wise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is stated; the verse highlights a tapas method (pañcāgni) rather than a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇava devotion, guru and dvija reverence, and the pañcāgni austerity performed after taking formal leave from learned brāhmaṇas.