Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ततश्चावभृथस्नानं कृत्वा सत्रसमाप्तिजम् । ऋत्विजस्तर्पयित्वा तान्दक्षिणाभिर्यथार्हतः

Transliteration

tataścāvabhṛthasnānaṃ kṛtvā satrasamāptijam | ṛtvijastarpayitvā tāndakṣiṇābhiryathārhataḥ

Translation

Puis, ayant accompli le bain d’avabhṛtha, signe de l’achèvement de la session sacrificielle, il satisfit les ṛtvij, prêtres officiants, par des dakṣiṇā—rétributions et présents—selon ce qui convenait à chacun.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/अनन्तरवाचक (adverb: “then/from there”)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अवभृथस्नानम्: the avabhṛtha bath (concluding bath)
• अवभृथस्नानम्: Karma (Object of कृत्वा/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवभृथ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (accusative singular)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: “having done”)

• सत्रसमाप्तिजम्: arising from the completion of the satra (sacrificial session)
• सत्रसमाप्तिजम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + समाप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (accusative singular; qualifying अवभृथस्नानम्)

• ऋत्विजः: the priests
• ऋत्विजः: Karma (Object of तर्पयित्वा/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (accusative plural)

• तर्पयित्वा: having satisfied
• तर्पयित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तृप्/तर्प् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: “having satisfied”)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (accusative plural)

• दक्षिणाभिः: with gifts/fees (dakṣiṇās)
• दक्षिणाभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• यथार्हतः: as appropriate
• यथार्हतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner adverb/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + अर्हत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: “as is proper/according to merit”)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avabhṛtha-snāna (completion bath)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king and priests proceed to the water for avabhṛtha; the king offers dakṣiṇā—cows, gold, cloth—while ṛtviks bless him; the sacrificial pavilion recedes behind.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛtvij

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A rite is completed by purification and gratitude—honoring the officiants through proper dakṣiṇā is integral to yajña-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it describes standard yajña completion practices within the chapter’s tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avabhṛtha-snāna (the concluding bath) and giving appropriate dakṣiṇā to the ṛtvij priests.