Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

सरिद्भिर्भ्राजते श्रेष्ठा पुरी शाक्री च भास्करी । केचित्पञ्चाग्नितपसः केचिदप्यग्निहोत्रिणः

Transliteration

saridbhirbhrājate śreṣṭhā purī śākrī ca bhāskarī | kecitpañcāgnitapasaḥ kecidapyagnihotriṇaḥ

Translation

നദികളാൽ ശോഭിക്കുന്ന ആ ശ്രേഷ്ഠപുരി ഇന്ദ്രലോകവും സൂര്യലോകവും പോലെ ദീപ്തമായി വിരാജിക്കുന്നു. ചിലർ പഞ്ചാഗ്നി-തപസ്സു ചെയ്യുന്നു; ചിലർ നിത്യ അഗ്നിഹോത്രം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सरिद्भिः: by/with rivers
• सरिद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• भ्राजते: shines
• भ्राजते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्राज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• श्रेष्ठा: excellent, best
• श्रेष्ठा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• पुरी: city
• पुरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• शाक्री: of Śakra (Indra), Indra-like
• शाक्री: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाक्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular (इन्द्रसम्बन्धिनी)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात — Conjunction/particle (and)

• भास्करी: sun-like, radiant
• भास्करी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भास्करी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular (भास्करसम्बन्धिनी)

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Pronoun ‘some’, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पञ्चाग्नितपसः: performers of the five-fire austerity
• पञ्चाग्नितपसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + अग्नि + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘those whose austerity is (with) five fires’

• केचित्: some (others)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Pronoun ‘some’, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय — Indeclinable particle (also/even)

• अग्निहोत्रिणः: Agnihotra performers
• अग्निहोत्रिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निहोत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra (Revākhaṇḍa setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A river-laced sacred city on the Narmadā, shimmering like celestial realms; on the ghāṭas and hermitages, ascetics sit amid ritual fires, some tending agnihotra altars at dawn and dusk.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Pañcāgni-tapas
• Agnihotra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred region is recognized by both its natural splendor and its disciplined practitioners—tapas and Vedic rites are signs of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A prominent river-city in the Narmadā region (Revā Khaṇḍa context), celebrated as resplendent with waterways and ascetics.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pañcāgni-tapas (austerity amid five fires) and Agnihotra are explicitly mentioned.