Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 129

Devanagari script

कृत्वा हेममयं विप्रा ब्राह्मणाय महात्मने । गर्तातीर्थसमुत्थाय वाताख्यायाहिताग्नये

Transliteration

kṛtvā hemamayaṃ viprā brāhmaṇāya mahātmane | gartātīrthasamutthāya vātākhyāyāhitāgnaye

Translation

Ayant façonné l’offrande en or, on la remit à un brāhmaṇa magnanime—lié au Gartā-tīrtha—nommé Vātaka, un āhitāgni, maître de maison qui entretient les feux sacrés.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभावकृदन्त — gerund ‘having made/done’

• हेममयम्: made of gold
• हेममयम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — accusative singular; तत्पुरुष ‘made of gold’ (object-qualifier)

• विप्राः: the brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — nominative plural

• ब्राह्मणाय: to a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणाय: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन — dative singular

• महात्मने: to the great-souled one
• महात्मने: Sampradāna (Recipient qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन — dative singular; agrees with ब्राह्मणाय

• गर्तातीर्थसमुत्थाय: to one arisen from Gartā-tīrtha
• गर्तातीर्थसमुत्थाय: Sampradāna (Recipient qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्तातीर्थ + समुत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन — dative singular; तत्पुरुष ‘arisen from Gartā-tīrtha’

• वाताख्याय: to (him) called Vāta
• वाताख्याय: Sampradāna (Recipient qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वात + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन — dative singular; तत्पुरुष ‘named Vāta’

• आहिताग्नये: to the āhitāgni (maintainer of sacred fires)
• आहिताग्नये: Sampradāna (Recipient qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहित + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन — dative singular; कर्मधारय ‘one whose fires are established’ (āhitāgni)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gartā-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience of the Purāṇa’s frame dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra’s golden gift is presented to Vātaka, a great-souled āhitāgni brāhmaṇa associated with Gartā-tīrtha; sacred fires burn nearby, signifying Vedic continuity and recipient worthiness.

Characters & Entities

• Gartā-tīrtha
• Brāhmaṇa
• Vātaka
• Āhitāgni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is tied to proper gifting and proper recipients—especially dharmic brāhmaṇas rooted in tīrtha tradition and Vedic fire-rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gartā-tīrtha is explicitly named and serves as the sacred anchor of the episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A gold-made donation given to a qualified brāhmaṇa (mahātmā) who is an āhitāgni.