Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

यत्रार्त्विज्यं भजंतेऽमी वसिष्ठप्रमुखर्षयः । तमध्वरं समाचक्षे मंगलेतरभूमिवत्

Transliteration

yatrārtvijyaṃ bhajaṃte'mī vasiṣṭhapramukharṣayaḥ | tamadhvaraṃ samācakṣe maṃgaletarabhūmivat

Translation

Di mana para ṛṣi yang dipimpin Vasiṣṭha menjalankan tugas-tugas ṛtvij; bagaimana mungkin adhvara itu dikatakan seolah-olah berlangsung di tanah yang tidak suci?

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक-अव्यय/adverb of place)

• आर्त्विज्यम्: the priestly function (ṛtvij-duty)
• आर्त्विज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārtvijya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मवाच्य-भावः (ऋत्विज्-कार्य/office of priest)

• भजन्ते: they partake in / they perform
• भजन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhaj (धातु; √भज्)
• Form: लट्/वर्तमान (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अमी: those (these people)
• अमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• वसिष्ठप्रमुखर्षयः: sages headed by Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठप्रमुखर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha-pramukha-ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक; वसिष्ठ + प्रमुख + ऋषि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘वसिष्ठः प्रमुखः येषां ते ऋषयः’)

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अध्वरम्: sacrifice (adhvara)
• अध्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समाचक्षे: he/they described / declared
• समाचक्षे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-cakṣ (धातु; √चक्ष् उपसर्ग-सम्+आ)
• Form: लिट्/परोक्षभूत (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मंगलेतरभूमिवत्: like an inauspicious land
• मंगलेतरभूमिवत्: Sambandha (Simile/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: maṅgala-itara-bhūmi-vat (प्रातिपदिक; मङ्गल + इतर + भूमि + वत्)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमानवाचक; -वत् प्रत्ययान्त; अव्ययीभाव-प्रायः)

Speaker

Dadhīci

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Avimukta (adhvara-mahattva within śmaśāna discourse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand Vedic sacrifice in Kāśī: Vasiṣṭha at the forefront with other ṛṣis as ṛtviks, holding ladles and kusa grass; the yajña fire rises in controlled tongues; the background hints at the liminal cremation-ground now revealed as radiant and auspicious.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Ṛṣayaḥ (sages)
• Ṛtvij (priests)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The participation of great ṛṣis is a hallmark of sanctity; sacredness is validated by dharmic presence and right performance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s ritual sphere, portrayed as a legitimate and exalted yajña-bhūmi despite cremation-ground associations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reference to ṛtvijya (priestly roles) in an adhvara, implying proper Vedic sacrificial structure.