Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणाः सत्यवन्तश्च निर्गताः शंसितव्रताः । आगच्छमानांस्तौ वीक्ष्य रथमार्गेण ब्राह्मणान्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇāḥ satyavantaśca nirgatāḥ śaṃsitavratāḥ | āgacchamānāṃstau vīkṣya rathamārgeṇa brāhmaṇān

Translation

സത്യനിഷ്ഠരും പ്രശംസിതവ്രതധാരികളുമായ ബ്രാഹ്മണർ പുറത്തുവന്നു; രഥമാർഗ്ഗത്തിലൂടെ സമീപിക്കുന്ന ആ ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ കണ്ടു…

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सत्यवन्तः: truthful
• सत्यवन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘ब्राह्मणाः’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• निर्गताः: having gone out
• निर्गताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि√गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of ‘ब्राह्मणाः’)

• शंसितव्रताः: of praised vows / with commended vows
• शंसितव्रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंसित-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक); शंसित (कृदन्त) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of ‘ब्राह्मणाः’)

• आगच्छमानान्: (those) coming
• आगच्छमानान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ√गम् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; कर्मपद-विशेषण (qualifying ‘ब्राह्मणान्’)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि√ईक्ष् (धातु) + त्वा (अव्ययभाव/क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• रथमार्गेण: by the chariot-road
• रथमार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ-मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; करण/मार्ग-निर्देश (means/route)

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

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Purāṇic framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of austere, white-clad brāhmaṇas with kamaṇḍalus and staffs emerges to greet approaching travelers on a broad chariot-road near a sacred riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Kṛṣṇa
• Saṃkarṣaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya (truthfulness) and vrata (disciplined observance) mark spiritual authority and guide sacred encounters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tirtha appears in this verse; it sets a scene within the journey narrative connected to Dvāravatī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it highlights brāhmaṇas characterized by vows (vrata).