Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

अग्निमित्यादि जाप्यानि ऋग्वेदी जपते तु यः । रुद्रान् पुरुषसूक्तं च श्लोकाध्यायं च शुक्रियम्

Transliteration

agnimityādi jāpyāni ṛgvedī japate tu yaḥ | rudrān puruṣasūktaṃ ca ślokādhyāyaṃ ca śukriyam

Translation

ഋഗ്വേദിയായ ഒരാൾ ‘അഗ്നിം…’ എന്നു ആരംഭിക്കുന്ന ജപ്യമന്ത്രങ്ങൾ ജപിക്കുകയും, രുദ്രസൂക്തം, പുരുഷസൂക്തം, കൂടാതെ പവിത്രമായ ശുക്രിയ ശ്ലോകാധ്യായവും പാരായണം ചെയ്യുകയുമെങ്കിൽ—

Word by Word

• agnim: ‘Agni’ (word/incipit)
• agnim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (उद्धृतपद)

• iti: thus/‘…’
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यर्थक-निपात (quotative particle)

• ādi: beginning with, etc.
• ādi: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘आदि’ = ‘etc.’ (समासान्त/विशेषण)

• jāpyāni: to be repeated (as japa)
• jāpyāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jāpya (कृदन्त; √jap)
• Form: भाव्य/अनीयरर्थक कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘to be recited’

• ṛgvedī: a Ṛgvedin (Ṛgveda follower)
• ṛgvedī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛgveda (प्रातिपदिक) + -in (तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (belonging to Ṛgveda)

• japate: recites/repeats
• japate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धा॒तु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• rudrān: Rudra (hymns/chapters)
• rudrān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; (रुद्राध्याय/रुद्रपाठ)

• puruṣa-sūktam: Puruṣa-sūkta
• puruṣa-sūktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + sūkta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुरुषस्य सूक्तम्)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• śloka-adhyāyam: chapter of verses
• śloka-adhyāyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śloka (प्रातिपदिक) + adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्लोकानाम् अध्यायः)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• śukriyam: Śukriya (text/hymn)
• śukriyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (विशेष-नाम/पाठ)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Ṛgvedin ascetic/pilgrim seated facing a small sacred fire or lamp, chanting ‘Agnim…’ with measured hand-counting; beside him a Rudra-linga shrine; manuscripts and water pot indicate disciplined study and japa.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛgveda
• Agni
• Rudra
• Puruṣasūkta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vedic japa performed with faith is presented as a meritorious discipline aligned with Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs in the Revā Khaṇḍa context, i.e., the Narmadā/Revā sacred region (Revā-kṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of Ṛgvedic recitations including mantras beginning with “agnim…,” Rudra hymns, and the Puruṣa-sūkta.