Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

होता शुक्रः समाख्यातो नेष्टा क्रथ उदाहृतः । मैत्रावरुणो दुर्वासा ब्राह्मणाच्छंसी कौशिकः

Transliteration

hotā śukraḥ samākhyāto neṣṭā kratha udāhṛtaḥ | maitrāvaruṇo durvāsā brāhmaṇācchaṃsī kauśikaḥ

Translation

Śukra fut proclamé Hotṛ ; Kratha fut nommé Neṣṭṛ. Durvāsā fut établi comme Maitrāvaruṇa, et Kauśika comme Brāhmaṇācchaṃsī.

Word by Word

• होता: (as) Hotṛ priest
• होता: Predicate/Viśeṣya (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ऋत्विज्-पद (Hotṛ priest)

• शुक्रः: Śukra
• शुक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समाख्यातः: was called/declared
• समाख्यातः: Predicate (कर्मणि-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘समाख्यात’ (called/declared), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नेष्टा: (as) Neṣṭṛ priest
• नेष्टा: Predicate/Viśeṣya (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ऋत्विज्-पद (Neṣṭṛ priest)

• क्रथः: Kratha
• क्रथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उदाहृतः: was mentioned
• उदाहृतः: Predicate (कर्मणि-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘उदाहृत’ (mentioned/said), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मैत्रावरुणः: (as) Maitrāvaruṇa priest
• मैत्रावरुणः: Predicate/Viśeṣya (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रावरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मित्रावरुण-संबद्धः/मैत्रावरुण), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ऋत्विज्-पद (Maitrāvaruṇa priest)

• दुर्वासाः: Durvāsā
• दुर्वासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणाच्छंसी: (as) Brāhmaṇācchaṃsī priest
• ब्राह्मणाच्छंसी: Predicate/Viśeṣya (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + अच्छंसी (शंस् धातु; प्रातिपदिक/ऋत्विज्-नाम)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्राह्मणस्य अच्छंसी), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ऋत्विज्-पद (Brāhmaṇācchaṃsī priest)

• कौशिकः: Kauśika
• कौशिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śukra as Hotṛ stands near the fire with ladle, reciting Ṛg-mantras; Kratha as Neṣṭṛ assists with offerings; Durvāsā as Maitrāvaruṇa watches intensely; Kauśika as Brāhmaṇācchaṃsī chants praises with raised hand.

Characters & Entities

• Śukra
• Kratha
• Durvāsā
• Kauśika
• Hotṛ
• Neṣṭṛ
• Maitrāvaruṇa
• Brāhmaṇācchaṃsī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A yajña is a disciplined orchestration of roles; dharma thrives when each duty is executed by the fit and learned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where renowned sages are portrayed as serving the sacrificial order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It lists additional ṛtvij offices—Neṣṭṛ, Maitrāvaruṇa, and Brāhmaṇācchaṃsī—showing the rite’s formal completeness.