Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

हस्तमात्रमिते कुंडे जातवेदस इत्यृचा । घृतेन मधुनाप्लुत्य जुहुयान्मंत्रविद्द्विजः

Transliteration

hastamātramite kuṃḍe jātavedasa ityṛcā | ghṛtena madhunāplutya juhuyānmaṃtraviddvijaḥ

Translation

Dans un foyer de feu mesuré à l’empan d’une main, le brāhmane versé dans les mantras doit offrir les oblations, en récitant le verset du Ṛgveda commençant par « Jātavedasa… », avec du ghee et du miel versés sur l’offrande.

Word by Word

• हस्त-मात्र-मिते: in (a pit) measured to a hand’s extent
• हस्त-मात्र-मिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मित (कृदन्त; √मा (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; ‘हस्तमात्र’ = हस्त-परिमाण (hand-measure)

• कुण्डे: in the fire-pit
• कुण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• जात-वेदसे: to Jātavedas (Agni)
• जात-वेदसे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जात (कृदन्त; √जन् (धातु) + क्त) + वेदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; ‘जातवेदस्’ = अग्नि (Agni)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotative particle)

• ऋचा: with a ṛk-verse (hymn)
• ऋचा: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋच्/ऋचा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• घृतेन: with ghee
• घृतेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• मधुना: with honey
• मधुना: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• आप्लुत्य: having sprinkled/immersed
• आप्लुत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + √प्लु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• जुहुयात्: should offer (into fire)
• जुहुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मन्त्र-वित्: knower of mantras
• मन्त्र-वित्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (प्रातिपदिक; √विद् (धातु) से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘मन्त्रवित्’ = मन्त्रज्ञ (knower of mantras)

• द्विजः: a brāhmaṇa (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compact fire-pit (hand-span) before the altar; a learned brāhmaṇa chants the Jātavedas ṛk while pouring ghee and honey into the flames; night vigil atmosphere continues.

Characters & Entities

• Jātavedas (Agni epithet)
• Ṛgveda (ṛc)
• Brāhmaṇa (dvija)
• Kuṇḍa (fire-pit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vedic fire-offering integrates mantra, substance, and intention, making devotion disciplined and tradition-grounded.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The homa instruction forms part of Kāśī’s vrata framework in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where rites are taught as highly meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare a hand-span fire-pit and perform homa with ghee and honey, reciting the Ṛgvedic ‘Jātavedasa…’ verse, led by a mantra-knowing brāhmaṇa.