Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अग्निहोत्रं हविष्यं च हविर्विन्यस्य मन्त्रवित् । सुसमिद्धं जुहावाग्निं रक्षसां नाशहेतवे

Transliteration

agnihotraṃ haviṣyaṃ ca havirvinyasya mantravit | susamiddhaṃ juhāvāgniṃ rakṣasāṃ nāśahetave

Translation

ಮಂತ್ರವಿದನು ಅಗ್ನಿಹೋತ್ರವನ್ನೂ ಹವಿಸ್ಸನ್ನೂ ವಿಧಿಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ವಿನ್ಯಾಸ ಮಾಡಿ; ರಾಕ್ಷಸರ ನಾಶಾರ್ಥವಾಗಿ ಸುಸಮಿದ್ಧ ಅಗ್ನಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಆಹುತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿದನು।

Word by Word

• अग्निहोत्रम्: the Agnihotra rite
• अग्निहोत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + होत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: अग्नेः होत्रम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• हविष्यम्: the oblation (havis)
• हविष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• हविः: the oblation
• हविः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd) (कर्मरूपे), एकवचन

• विन्यस्य: having placed/arranged
• विन्यस्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि√न्यस् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त; अव्ययभाव)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• मन्त्रवित्: knower of mantras
• मन्त्रवित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष: मन्त्रान् वेत्ति इति; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सुसमिद्धम्: well-kindled
• सुसमिद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय-उपसर्ग/उपपद) + सम्-√इध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle) ‘well-kindled’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अग्निम्)

• जुहाव: offered; poured (into fire)
• जुहाव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हु (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अग्निम्: into the fire
• अग्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• रक्षसाम्: of the demons (rakṣasas)
• रक्षसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• नाशहेतवे: for the cause of destruction
• नाशहेतवे: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: नाशस्य हेतुः; पुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Adhvaryu, focused and mantra-steady, places havis and performs agnihotra; flames rise bright and controlled, suggesting a ritual weapon aimed at unseen rākṣasas at the perimeter.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Adhvaryu (implied)
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Correctly performed yajña, empowered by mantra and purity, is depicted as a protective force that repels adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where ritual fire and mantra are celebrated as guardians of sacred order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing agnihotra with properly arranged havis and a well-kindled fire, accompanied by mantra, is the explicit ritual act.