Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा तं ब्राह्मणैः सार्धमुच्चरन्तं पदक्रमम् । अभिवादयते विप्रं स्वागतेन च पूजितः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā taṃ brāhmaṇaiḥ sārdhamuccarantaṃ padakramam | abhivādayate vipraṃ svāgatena ca pūjitaḥ

Translation

അവനെ ബ്രാഹ്മണരോടൊപ്പം പദക്രമമായി ഉച്ചരിക്കുന്നതായി കണ്ട ആ വിപ്രൻ അതിഥിയെ അഭിവാദ്യം ചെയ്തു; വന്നവൻ യഥോചിതമായ ‘സ്വാഗതം’ കൊണ്ട് പൂജിക്കപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणैः: with Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक

• उच्चरन्तम्: reciting
• उच्चरन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्√चर् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि विशेषण

• पदक्रमम्: the word-by-word order (padakrama)
• पदक्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पदानां क्रमः)

• अभिवादयते: salutes, greets respectfully
• अभिवादयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि√वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• विप्रम्: the Brahmin
• विप्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्वागतेन: with words of welcome
• स्वागतेन: Sahakari (Instrument/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वागत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/हेतुवाचक

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

• पूजितः: honored
• पूजितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पूज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); कर्तरि/विशेषण (he being honored)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra āśrama (atithi-dharma locus)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dvija-guest arrives; brāhmaṇa host rises, folds hands, offers arghya/pādya; other brāhmaṇas nearby continue Vedic recitation in orderly cadence; sacred fire and river visible.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Maheśvara (implied)
• Veda recitation (padakrama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring guests (atithi) and revering sacred recitation are core expressions of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) sacred landscape is the backdrop, highlighting hermitages along the river corridor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies atithi-pūjā (welcoming and honoring a guest), a standard dharmic observance.