Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

भवतो मतमाज्ञाय सर्वे गत्वाग्निमन्दिरम् । निराहाराः स्थिता रात्रौ पश्यामो जातवेदसम्

Transliteration

bhavato matamājñāya sarve gatvāgnimandiram | nirāhārāḥ sthitā rātrau paśyāmo jātavedasam

Translation

നിങ്ങളുടെ അഭിപ്രായം അറിഞ്ഞ് ഞങ്ങൾ എല്ലാവരും അഗ്നിമന്ദിരത്തിലേക്ക് പോകും; ഉപവസിച്ച് രാത്രി മുഴുവൻ അവിടെ നില്ക്കുകയും ജാതവേദസ് (അഗ്നിദേവൻ) ദർശനം നേടുകയും ചെയ്യും।

Word by Word

• भवतः: of you/your
• भवतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• मतम्: opinion/decision
• मतम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (known thing)

• आज्ञाय: having understood
• आज्ञाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√jñā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund); 'having known/understood'

• सर्वे: all (of us)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्ता

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund); 'having gone'

• अग्निमन्दिरम्: the fire-temple
• अग्निमन्दिरम्: Karman (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni-mandira (प्रातिपदिक; अग्नि + मन्दिर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (destination as object of going)

• निराहाराः: fasting/without food
• निराहाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-āhāra (प्रातिपदिक; निर् + आहार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (सर्वे इति)

• स्थिताः: standing/remained
• स्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषण; 'stood/remained'

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (time)

• पश्यामः: we will see/let us see
• पश्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• जातवेदसम्: Jātavedas (Agni)
• जातवेदसम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāta-vedas (प्रातिपदिक; जात + वेदस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म; अग्निनाम

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (to the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agni-mandira (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience; within story, brāhmaṇas speak to the king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas proceed together to Agni’s temple, resolve to fast, and stand through the night awaiting the appearance of Jātavedas; lamps, embers, and a sanctum fire illuminate their faces.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Jātavedas)
• Agni-mandira (Agni shrine/temple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is strengthened through disciplined observance—fasting and night-vigil undertaken for divine darśana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

An Agni-mandira associated with the Māhiṣmatī region in the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (nirāhāra—fasting) and staying through the night for Agni-darśana.