Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणान् पूजयेद्भक्त्या यथाशक्त्या यथाविधि । रात्रौ जागरणं कार्यं कथायां तत्र भारत

Transliteration

brāhmaṇān pūjayedbhaktyā yathāśaktyā yathāvidhi | rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kāryaṃ kathāyāṃ tatra bhārata

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ ഭക്തിയോടെ, യഥാശക്തി യഥാവിധി പൂജിക്കണം. ഹേ ഭാരത, രാത്രിയിൽ അവിടെ കഥാശ്രവണത്തിൽ ലീനമായി ജാഗരണം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• पूजयेत्: should worship/honor
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• यथा-शक्त्या: according to one's ability
• यथा-शक्त्या: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण); अव्ययीभाव (यथाशक्ति = as per ability)

• यथा-विधि: according to the prescribed rite
• यथा-विधि: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण); अव्ययीभाव (यथाविधि = according to rule)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (वैदिक/प्रयोग: रात्रौ)

• जागरणम्: keeping vigil
• जागरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• कार्यम्: to be done/should be done
• कार्यम्: Kriya (Predicative necessity/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातोः कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done)

• कथायाम्: in the narration/discourse
• कथायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night at a river-ghāṭa: brāhmaṇas seated on mats receiving respectful worship and offerings; lamps and incense glow; a storyteller recites sacred kathā to gathered pilgrims keeping vigil.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Bhārata (listener epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha practice blends devotion with service—honoring the worthy and staying awake in dharma-kathā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāha Tīrtha on the Narmadā, within the Revā Khaṇḍa itinerary.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brāhmaṇa-pūjā (honoring brāhmaṇas), and night-long jāgaraṇa with kathā (sacred narration).