Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

आग्नेयं वारुणाच्छ्रेष्ठं यस्मादुक्तं स्वयम्भुवा । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन ह्याग्नेयं स्नानमाचरेत्

Transliteration

āgneyaṃ vāruṇācchreṣṭhaṃ yasmāduktaṃ svayambhuvā | tasmātsarvaprayatnena hyāgneyaṃ snānamācaret

Translation

ആഗ്നേയസ്നാനം വാരുണസ്നാനത്തേക്കാൾ ശ്രേഷ്ഠം; കാരണം സ്വയംഭൂ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് തന്നെയാണ് അത് ഉപദേശിച്ചത്. അതിനാൽ സർവ്വശ്രമത്തോടെയും ആഗ്നേയസ്നാനം ആചരിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• आग्नेयम्: Agneya (fire-related) [bath]
• आग्नेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• वारुणात्: from the Vāruṇa (water-related) [bath]
• वारुणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• श्रेष्ठम्: superior
• श्रेष्ठम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• यस्मात्: because (from which reason)
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Ablative, Singular)

• उक्तम्: said/declared
• उक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Past passive participle: 'said')

• स्वयम्भुवा: by Svayambhū (Brahmā)
• स्वयम्भुवा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Ablative, Singular)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular); समासः—षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावे 'सर्वः प्रयत्नः'

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• आग्नेयम्: Agneya [bath]
• आग्नेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• आचरेत्: should perform/practise
• आचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, 3rd person singular)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhūtīśvara (implied in immediate context of the section)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage instructs a kingly listener on the superiority of Āgneya-snana; a devotee applies sacred ash with reverence before approaching a Shiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Āgneya-snānā
• Vāruṇa-snānā
• Svayambhū (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural authority and lineage of teaching matter; a practice endorsed by Svayambhū is urged as especially efficacious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The injunction appears in the Bhūtīśvara Māhātmya setting, though the verse focuses on the rite itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Āgneya-snānā with full commitment, presented as superior even to Vāruṇa-snānā.