Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

शान्तदान्तजितक्रोधाञ्छास्त्रयुक्तान् विचक्षणान् । तेषां चैवोपदेशेन करीषाग्निं प्रसाधयेत्

Transliteration

śāntadāntajitakrodhāñchāstrayuktān vicakṣaṇān | teṣāṃ caivopadeśena karīṣāgniṃ prasādhayet

Translation

Qu’il s’approche des êtres paisibles, maîtres d’eux-mêmes, vainqueurs de la colère, établis dans les śāstra et clairvoyants ; et, selon leur enseignement, qu’il prépare comme il se doit le feu de bouse de vache pour le rite.

Word by Word

• शान्तदान्तजितक्रोधान्: the calm, self-controlled, anger-conquering (ones)
• शान्तदान्तजितक्रोधान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + दान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + जित (कृदन्त, √जि) + क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; समासः—विशेषणसमूहः (शान्तः दान्तः जितक्रोधः इति)

• शास्त्रयुक्तान्: versed in the scriptures
• शास्त्रयुक्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त, √युज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—शास्त्रेण युक्ताः (instrumental sense)

• विचक्षणान्: discerning, wise
• विचक्षणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (सामान्य-प्रयोगः), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• उपदेशेन: by instruction, through teaching
• उपदेशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• करीषाग्निम्: the dung-fire
• करीषाग्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करीष (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—करीषस्य अग्निः (dung-fire)

• प्रसाधयेत्: should prepare/arrange
• प्रसाधयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √साध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tirtha-māhātmya context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (implied by nearby verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker approaches serene, ascetic, scripture-knowing elders seated near a riverbank hermitage; they instruct him as he arranges a small homa-kuṇḍa and prepares a cow-dung fire with careful, reverent movements.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual disciplines should be undertaken under the guidance of calm, restrained, and scripture-competent elders.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse focuses on proper guidance and ritual setup.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparing the karīṣāgni (cow-dung fire) according to the upadeśa (instruction) of qualified, śāstra-grounded teachers.