Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणीं ब्राह्मणं चैव पूजयित्वा यथाविधि । पुष्पैर्नानाविधैश्चैव गन्धधूपैः सुशोभनैः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇīṃ brāhmaṇaṃ caiva pūjayitvā yathāvidhi | puṣpairnānāvidhaiścaiva gandhadhūpaiḥ suśobhanaiḥ

Translation

വിധിപ്രകാരം ബ്രാഹ്മണിയെയും ബ്രാഹ്മണനെയും പൂജിച്ച്, നാനാവിധ പുഷ്പങ്ങളാലും മനോഹരമായ സുഗന്ധ ഗന്ധ-ധൂപങ്ങളാലും അർച്ചിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणीम्: a Brahmin woman
• ब्राह्मणीम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin man
• ब्राह्मणम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having worshipped’

• यथा: according to
• यथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (as/according to)

• विधि: the prescribed rule
• विधि: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘यथाविधि’ = ‘विधिं यथा’ (as per rule)

• पुष्पैः: with flowers
• पुष्पैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• नानाविधैः: of many kinds
• नानाविधैः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः: नाना (various) + विध (kinds)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• गन्धधूपैः: with perfumes and incense
• गन्धधूपैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः: गन्धैः च धूपैः च (with perfumes and incense)

• सुशोभनैः: very splendid
• सुशोभनैः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः: सु (very) + शोभन (beautiful)

Speaker

Śiva (Śaṅkara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual honoring of a brāhmaṇī and brāhmaṇa on the riverbank: garlands, trays of flowers, incense smoke curling upward, fragrant paste being offered, with a calm, rule-bound ceremonial order.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Brāhmaṇī
• Pūjā
• Gandha
• Dhūpa
• Revā (Narmadā) Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence toward the worthy (brāhmaṇas) and proper worship offerings are central pillars of tīrtha-based dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha setting of Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing brāhmaṇa/brāhmaṇī pūjā with flowers, perfumes, and incense according to scriptural procedure.