Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 190

Devanagari script

चतुर्भिर्ब्राह्मणैः शस्तं द्वाभ्यां योग्यैश्च कारयेत् । एकेन सार्द्रकुम्भेन दाम्पत्यमभिषेचयेत्

Transliteration

caturbhirbrāhmaṇaiḥ śastaṃ dvābhyāṃ yogyaiśca kārayet | ekena sārdrakumbhena dāmpatyamabhiṣecayet

Translation

നാലു ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാർകൊണ്ട് ഈ കർമ്മം നടത്തിക്കുന്നത് പ്രശംസനീയം; ആവശ്യമെങ്കിൽ രണ്ട് യോഗ്യന്മാർകൊണ്ടും നടത്താം. ഒരേ ജലപൂർണ്ണ കുംഭംകൊണ്ട് ദമ്പതികളെ ഒരുമിച്ച് അഭിഷേകം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• चतुर्भिः: with four
• चतुर्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

• ब्राह्मणैः: by/with Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• शस्तम्: prescribed/commended
• शस्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शस्त (कृदन्त; √शंस् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• द्वाभ्याम्: with two
• द्वाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• योग्यैः: with qualified (persons)
• योग्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

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

• कारयेत्: should cause to be done / should have (it) performed
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• एकेन: with one
• एकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• सार्द्रकुम्भेन: with a moist/wet pot (jar)
• सार्द्रकुम्भेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार्द्र + कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (विशेषण-विशेष्य)

• दाम्पत्यम्: the couple / married pair
• दाम्पत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाम्पत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अभिषेचयेत्: should anoint/bathe (ritually)
• अभिषेचयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सिच् (धातु) (अभि-उपसर्ग + णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; अभि-उपसर्ग, णिच्-प्रयोग

Speaker

Narrator within Revākhaṇḍa (ritual-vidhi instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (general Revākhaṇḍa setting)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical Purāṇic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the riverbank pavilion, two or four brāhmaṇas arrange a single water-pot; the husband and wife sit together as the officiant pours consecrated water over both in a synchronized abhiṣeka.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Kumbha
• Abhiṣeka
• Dāmpatya (couple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites are to be done with proper competence and order; even when simplified, qualification and sanctity are emphasized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The abhiṣeka instruction is situated in the Eraṇḍī-saṅgama confluence context of the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the rite with four Brāhmaṇas (or two qualified), and anoint the couple using one water-pot (kumbha).