Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पावकोऽपि द्विजेंद्राणामग्निहोत्रेषु संस्थितः । हविर्जग्राह विधिवद्वसोर्द्धारोद्भवं तथा

Transliteration

pāvako'pi dvijeṃdrāṇāmagnihotreṣu saṃsthitaḥ | havirjagrāha vidhivadvasorddhārodbhavaṃ tathā

Translation

Même Agni, le Feu sacré, établi dans les rites d’agnihotra des plus éminents brāhmaṇas, reçut selon le rite l’oblation (havis), née de l’offrande Vasordhārā, conformément à la règle.

Word by Word

• पावकः: Agni, fire
• पावकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also/even)

• द्विजेन्द्राणाम्: of the chief Brahmins
• द्विजेन्द्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजानाम् इन्द्राः = ‘chiefs of Brahmins’); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• अग्निहोत्रेषु: in the agnihotra rites
• अग्निहोत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निहोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अग्नौ होत्रम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• संस्थितः: stationed, present
• संस्थितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्गः ‘सम्’; ‘स्थित’ = stationed/present

• हविः: oblation
• हविः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• जग्राह: took, accepted
• जग्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• विधिवत्: according to the proper rite
• विधिवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: according to rule)

• वसोः: of Vasu
• वसोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धारोद्भवम्: arisen from the stream
• धारोद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारा + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धारायाः उद्भवः = arising from the stream); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘हविः’ इति विशेषणम्

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/also)

Speaker

Sūta (context continued)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vasordhārā (as source of havis)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Foremost brāhmaṇas perform agnihotra at dawn/dusk; Agni, personified, receives havis with composed dignity; the vasordhārā stream is shown as the source of the oblation, emphasizing continuity from special rite to daily practice.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Pāvaka)
• Agnihotra
• Vasordhārā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts performed with proper procedure (vidhi) and sanctified giving are affirmed as channels through which divine forces (Agni) confer merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider passage leads to Agnitīrtha’s manifestation; this verse links the tīrtha’s sanctity to agnihotra and Vasordhārā offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Agnihotra performed by brāhmaṇas and the duly offered Vasordhārā-derived oblation accepted by Agni.